ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Fruit and Vegetable Grading

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made in discussions on revising the EU grading rules for fruit and vegetables.

Jonathan R Shaw: The June 2007 Agriculture Council agreed to a package of reforms to the CAP fruit and vegetables sector, since when the European Commission have been taking forward the implementation of the new regime. This includes revised rules on marketing standards which are currently under discussion in the Fruit and Vegetables Management Committee.

Upper River Ray

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make funding available for environmental projects for the Upper River Ray catchment area in Oxfordshire.

Phil Woolas: Funding has been available for environmental projects within the Upper River Ray catchment area for over 10 years through various agri-environment schemes.

Agricultural Theft

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the likely effects on trends in the theft of agricultural equipment and red diesel of rising world oil and metal prices.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Secretary of State has not had any discussion with the Home Secretary on the theft of agricultural equipment and red diesel. Farm security is a matter for individual farms to address, with advice from the police if necessary.
	I sympathise with farmers who have been victims of crimes, but crime is the remit of the Home Office, and not this Department.

Chewing Gum

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals for incentives to encourage manufacturers of chewing gum to create a biodegradable product.

Jonathan R Shaw: Manufacturers assure us that they continue to put significant resources into developing less adhesive products, while retaining their marketability and safety. Additional tax relief is already available to companies incurring expenditure on qualifying research and development activities.

Food Prices

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to seek reductions in food prices.

Hilary Benn: High food prices are a global issue requiring coordinated action. The G8 recently agreed to invest $10 billion to address short-term humanitarian needs and to improve food security over the longer term. Rising food prices have an impact at home and abroad—particularly for the poorest—and today my Department has published a discussion paper which sets out what we consider necessary to ensure UK food security in a globalised world.

Energy Efficiency

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on making consumer products more energy efficient.

Joan Ruddock: The publication of the Progress Report on Sustainable Products and Materials was agreed by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Energy and Environment. Regular meetings have also been held with industry stakeholders such as retailers and manufacturers.

Consumer Council for Water

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Consumer Council for Water; and what matters were discussed.

Phil Woolas: Ministers and DEFRA officials are in regular contact with the Consumer Council for Water on a range of issues.

Fishing Industry

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the UK fishing industry.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information of the performance of the UK fishing industry is published annually by the Marine and Fisheries Agency in: 'United Kingdom Sea Fisheries Statistics'. The document includes information on the size of the UK fishing fleet, the number of fishermen, key economic indicators, and the quantity and value of sea fish landings, imports and exports. Comparisons are made with the fishing industries in Europe and the rest of the world.

Single Payment Scheme

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the Rural Payments Agency's performance against its targets in delivering the single payment scheme.

Hilary Benn: The Rural Payments Agency met all of their payment targets for the 2007 Single Payment Scheme. This demonstrates a continued improvement in RPA performance and is another important step towards the agency again providing an acceptable level of service to its customers.

Marine Habitats

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to safeguard marine habitats; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government are committed to establishing (by 2012) a network of well managed marine protected areas that will conserve the richness of our marine environment.

Carbon Emissions

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the global economic situation on individual consumers' carbon footprints.

Hilary Benn: In the short-term, high fossil fuel prices and the global downturn could lead to slightly reduced demand for fuel and energy, and thus slightly lower carbon emissions in the economy as a whole, as people reduce their demand for fuel and energy.
	If fossil fuel prices remain high in the long run, we expect producers and consumers to adapt and consume less fossil-fuel based energy, leading to reduced carbon emissions.

Environment Protection: Housing

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 905W, on environment protection: housing, whether the carbon footprint regarding the 60 per cent. reduction target relates to housing only.

Phil Woolas: The Green Neighbourhoods project aims to retrofit up to one hundred selected neighbourhoods across England, with concentrations of hard-to-treat homes, with energy saving, microgeneration and water efficiency measures that would aim to reduce the carbon footprints of their homes by at least 60 per cent.

Pesticides: EC Action

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the Government abstained from the vote on the proposed Pesticides Directive in the Council of Ministers in respect of changing approval of pesticides from risk-based to hazard-based examination.

Phil Woolas: The UK abstained on this issue as we remained concerned that no proper assessment of the potential impact of the proposals on agriculture in the Community, or of their benefits for consumers, had been presented to member states. We could not support measures which would have significant adverse impacts on crop protection and secure no significant health benefits for consumers.

Rural Areas

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress against his Department's objective of achieving fair access to public services for rural communities.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA's new departmental strategic objective, which is based on outcomes rather than inputs, is "Strong Rural Communities". Progress against this DSO, published on the DEFRA website, is assessed quarterly against a range of indicators which show, in the main, a very positive picture.
	In addition, the Commission for Rural Communities published its "State of the Countryside" report yesterday, in which the accessibility of services for rural communities is discussed in detail.

WALES

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which make and model of car he has chosen as his Ministerial car to be provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.

Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 414W.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last five years.

Paul Murphy: None.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Sick Leave

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many working days have been lost due to sickness amongst employees for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The following table details the number of working days lost due to sickness among employees in the Northern Ireland Office in each year from 2000. Details are unavailable prior to 2000. The figures prior to 2004-05 do not include Home Civil Servants (HCS staff); however, they are included in figures from 2004-05 onwards.
	
		
			   Staff included  Total days absence 
			 2000-01 NIO NICS 12,147.5 
			 2001-02 NIO NICS 13,396.4 
			 2002-03 NIO NICS 14,894.5 
			 2003-04 NIO NICS 16,592.5 
			 2004-05 NIO NICS and NIO HCS 18,364.5 
			 2005-06 NIONICS and NIO HCS 17,313.3 
			 2006-07 NIONICS and NIO HCS 18,631.8

Young Offenders

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what procedures are in place to identify  (a) mental health problems,  (b) learning difficulties and  (c) addictions among those entering young offender centres in Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what percentage of residents in young offenders centres in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years have been diagnosed as having  (a) mental health problems and  (b) learning difficulties;
	(3)  what percentage of those detained in young offender centres have experienced  (a) learning difficulties,  (b) literacy and numeracy difficulties,  (c) time spent as a looked-after child,  (d) mental health problems or personality disorder,  (e) family break-down and  (f) exclusion from school;
	(4)  what procedures there are for assessment of those entering young offender centres for  (a) mental health problems or personality disorders,  (b) educational under-achievement,  (c) learning difficulties,  (d) addictions and  (e) family difficulties or breakdown.

Paul Goggins: All young offenders coming into prison undergo a health care committal screen on the first night. They are asked questions about mental health problems, drug and/or alcohol use or misuse and if they have any particular literacy problems. All inmates are also seen, on initial committal, by Opportunity Youth to identify any alcohol or substance misuse problems. If specific mental health problems are identified then they would receive onward referral to mental health support within health care.
	The first assessment will be carried out by a mental health nurse who will provide basic support but, if required, a further referral will be made to another specialist, such as cognitive behavioural therapists, Opportunity Youth or psychiatrists.
	A health care induction programme, aimed at providing inmates with information regarding the health services available to them whilst in custody, has been produced and is being delivered twice a week to all new committals. Inmates are informed of the clinics and support services available to them and how to access them. All staff, including the dental team, deliver the induction programme on a rotational basis.
	Wider research in the UK suggests that approximately 60-70 per cent. of prisoners have some mental health problem but detailed analysis has not yet been undertaken specifically in relation to the young offender centre population.
	Inmates are also given an education assessment within 20 days of committal which assesses literacy and numeracy ability and also tests for dyslexia. They are also asked to make the assessor aware of any other known learning difficulties, in particular ADHD.
	In the last three years 31 per cent. of male young offenders have shown some indicators for dyslexia, (this compares with a figure of approximately 10 per cent. in the general population). A pilot is under way to assess better learning difficulties among the young offenders and in particular ADHD, which will also develop and pilot appropriate interventions.
	At present, education staff are able to assess but not formally diagnose specific learning difficulties, although they can and do identify indications for certain conditions and plan and deliver lessons accordingly. Prison Service will also consider a diagnosis of dyslexia, which is a more formal process than assessment and must be carried out by a suitable qualified individual, as part of the pilot.
	The Prison Service does not routinely have access to the academic, social care and other records of individuals before they come into custody. However, our own assessments on committal show that around 70 per cent. have literacy and numeracy skills below level 1, which is comparable to that of an 11-year-old.
	Finally, the hon. Gentleman will be aware that lead responsibility for the provision of prison health care was transferred to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 1 April 2008 and therefore I have copied these questions and my response to the Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey MLA.

Young Offenders: Children in Care

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of those detained in young offender centres have been at any time a looked-after child or otherwise in the care of the state.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service does not record the information requested in Northern Ireland. However, research in England and Wales suggests about one in three have been in care as a child.

Young Offenders: Children in Care

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of children who have  (a) been arrested,  (b) appeared in court,  (c) gone through youth conferences and  (d) been imprisoned in young offender centres or prison in each of the last 10 years spent time in state administered care.

Paul Goggins: Information in the format requested for  (a),  (b) and  (d) is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information available on  (c) covers the proportion of initial admissions to the Juvenile Justice Centre, Northern Ireland, received from care homes:
	
		
			   Proportion (percentage) 
			 1998 15 
			 1999 15 
			 2000 28 
			 2001 25 
			 2002 15 
			 2003 21 
			 2004 35 
			 2005 35 
			 2006 35 
			 2007 26 
			  Notes: 1, Figures exclude cases where looked after status is unknown at time of admission. 2. Figures are based only to children whose residential address is a care home at time of admission. 3. Figures are based on the first 10 months of 2007 only.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

British Grand Prix

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions his Department had with  (a) the organisers of Formula 1,  (b) Milton Keynes Council and  (c) other interested parties on the proposed move of the British Grand Prix from Silverstone to Donington Park; and on what dates each such discussion took place.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The decision to move the British Grand Prix from Silverstone to Donington is a commercial matter for Formula One Management (FOM) and the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
	I have not had any direct discussions with any party about this decision.
	However, my officials and I have met regularly with representatives of Motor sport Development UK (MDUK), The British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) and colleagues from Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) to discuss the current redevelopment plans of the Silverstone circuit.
	I also met with Bernie Ecclestone on the 18 March 2008 to discuss the British Grand Prix.

Departmental Sick Leave

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many working days have been lost due to sickness amongst employees for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Sickness absence figures are contained in the annual report 'Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service', published by the Cabinet Office. Website at
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/sickness.asp
	The sickness absence reports on the Cabinet Office website date back to 2004. DCMS only holds sickness absence data dating back to 2003.
	The Department's sickness absence policy provides guidance to employees on the procedures to following in dealing with sick absence. It also details responsibilities of individuals, line managers and human and business resources in monitoring and dealing with sickness absence and encouraging return to work—which includes guidance on making reasonable adjustments for employees.
	As part of the Department's attendance, health and well-being programme for employees, there are also policies covering a range of flexible work patterns such as part-time/job share, flexible working hours and working from home to support work-life balance. There is support for employees who may wish to take a career break and/or special leave.
	The Department also has an employee assistance programme, which is free to employees (their families and friends) and offers advice and counselling on both personal and work related issues.

Gambling

Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings the Gambling Commission has held with  (a) Gala Coral,  (b) William Hill and  (c) Ladbrokes or their representatives on betting shops in the last 12 months; what matters were discussed; what the outcomes were of the discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As part of its work in regulating the gambling industry the Gambling Commission has various meetings with representatives of the gambling industry, including Gala Coral, William Hill and Ladbrokes.
	These meetings can form part of a formal consultation process, formal liaison with the industry and compliance work. A wide range of regulatory matters have been discussed at the meetings which form part of the Commission's work to ensure effective regulation of the betting industry is maintained. Apart from the normal licensing processes and compliance visits to the operators' premises, the only specific meetings on betting shops with any of the companies have been induction visits for Commissioners and staff.

Reaching Communities Scheme

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of funding from the Reaching Communities Scheme has gone to projects in (a) rural areas and  (b) urban areas.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The fund does not distinguish between urban and rural areas in awarding and recording these grants.

Reaching Communities Scheme

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance is provided on funding of programmes in rural areas when deciding on grants from the Reaching Communities Scheme.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Reaching Communities is managed by the Big Lottery Fund, which does not provide any specific guidance to applicants in rural areas but does work with partner or helper organisations to ensure that those groups who experience barriers to participation will be able to develop projects for funding from the programme. Regional information is also provided to committee members who are involved in considering applications.

Sports: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding his Department has provided to  (a) amateur sports clubs and  (b) sport in schools in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Departmental and Lottery funding to promote and invest in grassroots and community sport is allocated via Sport England. They hold information according to local authority rather than parliamentary constituency, and have itemised the following investment since 1997 in clubs and schools projects within the London borough of Bexley:
	
		
			  Funding  Recipient  Project  Award date  Financial year  Award amount  (£) 
			 Sports Club Phoenix Sports Club New Sports Pavilion 27 April 1998 1998-1999 22,007 
			 Sports Club Danson Park Bowis Consortium Ltd. Extension to Clubhouse 19 October 1998 1998-1999 41,950 
			 Sports Club Long Lane Junior Football Club Upgrade changing facilities and construct STP 21 February 2000 1999-2000 462,330 
			 Sports Club Bexley Cricket Club Community Club Development Programme   41,730 
		
	
	
		
			  Funding  Recipient  Project  Award date  Financial year  Award amount  (£) 
			 Sports in Schools Bexley Council School Sport Coordinator Partnership 1 September 2002 2002-03 368,344 
			 Sports in Schools Bexley Council Sidcup swimming centre - 30 August 2006 2006-07 693,000

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the opportunities for people completing apprenticeships to achieve higher education qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: In World-class Apprenticeships we highlighted the need for clear progression routes for apprenticeships to maximise the apprenticeship experience, including higher education. Sector Skills Councils are developing a strategy for Level 4 Apprenticeships, enabling progression to higher education, including Foundation Degrees. They are mapping all apprenticeship frameworks to see where Level 4 apprenticeships may be required. Arrangements are already in place for apprentices who complete an engineering or e-skills apprenticeship to have their learning recognised through UCAS points to progress to higher education. A further eight frameworks are expected to be recognised by 2010.
	We expect the number of opportunities to progress to higher education to rise once the planned mapping has been completed and the responsibility for maintaining progress will lie with the new National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) when it is operational in April 2009.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what percentage of staff in his Department and its predecessor have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: Since the Department was formed in the 28 June 2007 machinery of government changes, 56 staff have had more than two periods of sickness of less than five days. This applies from the date of establishment of the Department to 31 March 2008 (the latest information available). This equates to 6.8 per cent. of current staffing.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days since establishment.

David Lammy: Since the Department was established in the 28 June 2007 machinery of government changes, 10 staff have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days. This applies from the date of establishment of the Department to 31 March 2008 (the latest information available). This represents of 1.2 per cent. of DIUS staff.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many home information packs have been commissioned by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to market a residential property; for which properties; at what cost; and whether a voluntary home condition report was purchased as part of the packs.

David Lammy: This Department has not commissioned any home information packs. An answer in respect of all our agencies could be given only at disproportionate cost.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of staff in her office have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many staff in her Office have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last five years.

Helen Goodman: Data held by the Cabinet Office indicated that in 2007 there were no staff in the Leader's Office who had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days.
	The number of staff with periods of sick absence lasting less than five days for the calendar year 2006 is already a matter of public record.
	Sickness absence information for the previous years is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register: Marketing

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how much the Electoral Commission has spent on  (a) its own voter registration campaigns and  (b) voter registration campaigns run by non-governmental organisations in each of the last 10 years.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its public awareness campaigns both encourage voter registration and provide information about how to take part in elections, including different methods of voting and voting systems. The Commission is therefore not able to separate out its expenditure on voter registration specifically, from its expenditure on wider campaign activity.
	The following table shows the total expenditure on the Commission's campaign activity in each of the past four years for which the relevant financial records are readily available. Equivalent information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The costs include advertising costs, and expenditure on other campaign activity such as research, call centres, websites and publications.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 5,781,527 
			 2005-06 6,334,064 
			 2006-07 5,260,138 
			 2007-08 4,963,172 
		
	
	Section 13 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 gives the Commission power to make grants to other bodies to promote public awareness. I am informed that since 2002 the Commission has awarded grants to organisations for projects that raise awareness of the democratic process, including but not limited to promoting voter registration. The following table shows the total grant funding awarded to non-governmental organisations in each year:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 317,808 
			 2003-04 188,339 
			 2004-05 218,335 
			 2005-06 393,734 
			 2006-07 2,308,406 
			 2007-08 1,177,477 
		
	
	The grants scheme is now closed to new applications and all funded projects will end by 31 March 2010.

Electoral Register: Marketing

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how much the Electoral Commission spent on voter registration advertising in each of the last five years; and what assessment the Commission has made of the effectiveness of that advertising in increasing voter registration.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its advertising campaigns both encourage voter registration and provide information about how to take part in elections, including different methods of voting and voting systems. The Commission is therefore not able to separate out its expenditure on voter registration advertising from its wider voter information advertising.
	The following table shows the total expenditure on all such advertising in each of the past four years for which the relevant financial records are readily available. Equivalent information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 4,937,021 
			 2005-06 5,438,551 
			 2006-07 4,412,197 
			 2007-08 4,115,661 
		
	
	A report to the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission by the Comptroller and Auditor General, published in 2006 and entitled "Is the Public Aware of Democracy?" concluded that the Commission had used its resources in raising public awareness in general effectively, when judged by measures such as recall rates and other industry measures for its advertising, and that there appeared to have been an overall positive effect on voter registration.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Departmental Pay

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Solicitor-General what the hourly charging rates of staff of the Treasury Solicitor's Department were in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08.

Vera Baird: For those staff of the Treasury Solicitor's Department who are charged for on an hourly rate, the figures were:
	
		
			   £ 
			  2005-06  
			  Litigation Division and Employment and Commercial Contracts Group  
			 Senior Civil Servant 134 
			 Senior Solicitor (Grade 6) 112 
			 Solicitor (Grade 7) 103 
			 Junior Solicitor (Legal Officer) 64 
			 SEO/HEO 64 
			 Legal Trainee, EO and AO 54 
			   
			  Advisory Divisions  
			 Head of Division 162 
			 Senior Civil Servant 134 
			 Grade 6, 7 Adviser 91 
			 Legal Officer 57 
			 SEO/HEO 57 
			 Legal Trainee, EO, AO 54 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Head of Division (COCAD) 165 
			 Senior Civil Servant 136 
			 Senior Solicitor (Grade 6) 114 
			 Solicitor (Grade 7), Junior Solicitor 104 
			 SEO/HEO 65 
			 Legal Trainee, EO and AO 56 
			   
			  2007-08  
			 Head of Division (COCAD) 167 
			 Senior Civil Servant 138 
			 Senior Solicitor (Grade 6) 115 
			 Solicitor (Grade 7), Junior Solicitor 106 
			 SEO/HEO 66 
			 Legal Trainee, EO and AO 56 
			  Note: COCAD—Cabinet Office and Central Advisory Division HEO—Higher Executive Officer SEO—Senior Executive Officer EO—Executive Officer AO—Administrative Officer

Serious Fraud Office

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps she plans to take following the publication in June 2008 of the final report on the review of the Serious Fraud Office; which organisations will be consulted on the report; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement on 10 June 2008,  Official Report , column 12WS. The review by Jessica de Grazia provided helpful insights into the work of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) based on comparisons with US prosecutors.
	The new Director of the SFO has found her recommendations on the internal workings of the SFO valuable background for his change programme. We are considering her recommendations on the wider environment in the context of a range of proposals we are already taking forward to strengthen the response to fraud, which is a cross-Government programme of work.

Serious Fraud Office

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General what discussions the Attorney-General has had with the  (a) Secretary of State for Justice and  (b) the Home Secretary on the Final Report on the review of the Serious Fraud Office published in June 2008.

Vera Baird: The Attorney-General shared Jessica de Grazia's report with the Secretary of State for Justice and the Home Secretary as it was published, and our officials were then and have since been in contact with officials in both Departments and in the prosecuting Departments to consider the recommendations.

Serious Fraud Office

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General what plans there are to enhance co-operation between the Serious Fraud Office, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office.

Vera Baird: The Serious Fraud Office works closely in collaboration with the other Law Officer Departments and the Attorney-General's Office on a variety of issues. To ensure her Departments work closely together at a strategic level, my noble Friend the Attorney-General chairs a strategic board on which the directors are represented, which meets quarterly.

Serious Fraud Office: Contracts

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General with how many external contractors the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has contracts; what estimate she has made of the average annual cost to the public purse of such contracts; and how many such contractors have held contracts with the SFO in each of the last 10 years.

Vera Baird: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) does not keep records of the number of external contractors it employs. The cost of all non-permanent staff employed at the SFO (including external barristers) for each of the last 10 years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£) 
			 2007-08 11,521,000 
			 2006-07 10,312,000 
			 2005-06 11,845,000 
			 2004-05 9,492,000 
			 2003-04 8,566,000 
			 2002-03 6,759,000 
			 2001-02 6,596,000 
			 2000-01 5,316,000 
			 1999-2000 4,004,000 
			 1998-99 4,750,000

Serious Fraud Office: Operating Costs

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost of running the Serious Fraud Office was in each of the last 10 years.

Vera Baird: The cost of running the Serious Fraud Office for each of the last 10 years was as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Annual running costs (£) 
			 2007-08 42,071,000 
			 2006-07 40,415,000 
			 2005-06 39,869,000 
			 2004-05 32,808,000 
			 2003-04 27,791,000 
			 2002-03 26,176,000 
			 2001-02 23,002,000 
			 2000-01 19,608,000 
			 1999-2000 15,860,000 
			 1998-1999 16,027,000

Serious Fraud Office: Powers

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General what plans there are to increase the Serious Fraud Office's investigatory powers; and whether these plans have been amended to take account of the findings in the Final Report on the review of the Serious Fraud Office published in June 2008.

Vera Baird: At present, there are no plans to extend the investigative powers of the Serious Fraud Office beyond those which were recently provided through the Serious Crime Act 2007.

Serious Fraud Office: Prosecutions

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions were initiated by the Serious Fraud Office in each of the last 10 years; and what the conviction rate from such prosecutions was in each year.

Vera Baird: The Serious Fraud Office has brought prosecutions against the following number of defendants in each of the last 10 years; and the conviction rates arising from these prosecutions are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Defendants tried  Conviction rate (percentage) 
			 2007-08 25 68 
			 2006-07 21 71 
			 2005-06 23 57 
			 2004-05 58 64 
			 2003-04 39 51 
			 2002-03 25 68 
			 2001-02 13 77 
			 2000-01 58 88 
			 1999-2000 12 92 
			 1998-99 42 81

Serious Fraud Office: Prosecutions

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General in what proportion of Serious Fraud Office prosecutions was pre-trial abuse claimed by the defence in each of the last 10 calendar years.

Vera Baird: The Serious Fraud Office does not centrally maintain statistics about applications made to a judge to stop a trail from proceedings on the basis of allegations of abuse of process.
	The SFO holds post-case reviews on conclusion of each case, which provides an opportunity for the case team to discuss and record the successes of the investigation, as well as any lessons learned from issues encountered (and resolved) for the future. This information is shared across the office to ensure that best practice is adopted throughout the organisation.

Serious Fraud Office: Recruitment

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Attorney-General plans to issue guidance to the Serious Fraud Office on its recruitment practices, with particular regard to recruitment of former police officers.

Vera Baird: No.

Serious Fraud Office: Resignations

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General what reasons were given to the Attorney General for the resignation of the former Chief Executive of the Serious Fraud Office.

Vera Baird: The head of the Serious Fraud Office is the Director. The previous Director, Robert Wardle, was appointed on the basis of a fixed term contract which ended on 20th April 2008.

Serious Fraud Office: Standards

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the  (a) targets and  (b) priorities of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) are to be reviewed following the review of the SFO Final Report published by the Attorney General in June.

Vera Baird: The SFO is currently involved in a fundamental review as a result of the arrival of a new Director on 21 April 2008 and the publication of Jessica de Grazia's Report on the Serious Fraud Office published in June 2008.
	As part of this review the Director has already made a number of changes designed to strengthen the leadership team, improve staff training and to shorten the time it takes to get SFO cases into Court. The recommendations made in Jessica de Grazia's report which relate to the operation and management of the SFO are currently being considered very carefully as part of this, and further developments to build on the performance of the SFO will be introduced over the coming year.

Serious Fraud Office: Standards

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General whether there are proposals to  (a) improve the Serious Fraud Office's case management procedures and  (b) seek efficiency savings in Serious Fraud Office investigations and prosecutions.

Vera Baird: The recently appointed director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has already stated on several occasions that one of his priorities is to enable cases to be brought to court more quickly.
	In addition, in March 2007 the SFO established the Case Management Reform Programme (CMRP), which is a business change programme designed to contribute to the strategic aims and objectives of the SFO. In particular, the CMRP aims to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of SFO casework processes, thus increasing the probability that cases will withstand procedural challenge and be concluded within much shorter time frames.

Serious Fraud Office: Working Conditions

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment she has made of the findings in the recent final report on the Serious Fraud Office on its working culture; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The Attorney-General and I are aware that the new Director of the Serious Fraud Office has taken account of Jessica de Grazia's findings and his own assessment since arrival and that he is taking forward a programme of change within the SFO, including of communication and ways of working. This is a welcome approach. In this he will be building on the good work of very many staff in the SFO, which was also acknowledged by Jessica de Grazia.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children in Care: Clinical Trials

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what regulations and guidelines govern the participation of children in care in drug trials.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	Clinical Trials in the European Union are undertaken in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2001/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the European Council on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states relating to implementation of good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials on medicinal products for human use. The Directive provides for the protection of clinical trial subjects, including minors, and sets out requirements for the ethical review of clinical trials. The Directive provides for a general rule that minors may only be included in a clinical trial if the informed consent of the parents or legal representative has been obtained.
	The Directive was transposed into United Kingdom legislation as the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations on 1 May 2004. Two further Commission Directives setting out the detailed principles and guidelines of good clinical practice have been agreed and implemented into UK law. On 1 May 2008 the Government amended UK legislation, following a public consultation, to allow minors to be entered into a trial prior to consent having been obtained from a person with parental responsibility or legal representative in trials of emergency medicines where and while certain conditions are met.

Departmental Buildings

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) new builds and  (b) major refurbishments were completed by his Department for a cost in excess of £0.5 million in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08 to which the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method or equivalent was applied; how many such buildings were assessed as (A) pass, (B) good, (C) very good and (D) excellent; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007 and has not completed any new builds since that time. Since 2007, the Department has undertaken one major refurbishment with a value in excess of £0.5 million where BREEAM is applicable. The work is ongoing and a BREEAM assessment will be undertaken once the refurbishment has been completed.

Departmental Internet

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on developing the 'Build your PlaySpace' on the departmental website; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department developed the 'Build your PlaySpace' interactive tool to engage children and young people in the fair play consultation in a fun and interactive way. The tool is one strand of a wider consultation strategy that includes an activity poster/competition for children and young people, live events to encourage local dialogue with children, young people, their families and practitioners and written consultation.
	The cost of developing the 'Build your PlaySpace' tool was £50,000 plus VAT.

Departmental Internet

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people have used the 'Build your PlaySpace' on his Department's website; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department developed the 'Build your PlaySpace' interactive tool to engage children and young people in the fair play consultation in a fun and interactive way. The tool is one strand of a wider consultation strategy that includes an activity poster/competition for children and young people, live events to encourage local dialogue with children, young people, their families and practitioners and written consultation.
	The number of people who have used the 'Build your PlaySpace' tool as at 16 July 2008 is 9,286. The interactive tool will be available until 18 August 2008.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on hospitality in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: The purchase of hospitality is recorded under the general heading of Meeting Refreshments. Details of expenditure on hospitality incurred by the Department over the last 12 months and recorded in the Department's Integrated Financial Information System are set out:
	Financial Year 2007-08: £ 357,260.54
	DCSF was established under Machinery of Government Changes on 28 June 2007. The response also covers those areas of responsibility held by its predecessor, the Department for Education and Skills (DFES).

Departmental Pay

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been paid in bonuses to staff of each non-departmental body for which his Department has responsibility in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not hold information on the bonuses paid to NDPB staff.

Education: Young Offender Institutions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many young offenders were assessed on reception into custody as having literacy and numeracy skills below level one at each young offender institution in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of young people entering secure facilities were tested for literacy and numeracy skills in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what proportion of people in young offender institutions had a reading age of  (a) entry level 1 and 2 and  (b) entry level 3 in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The following table gives the number of young offenders who were assessed on reception into custody as having literacy and numeracy skills below level one (those assessed at Pre-entry Level, Entry Level 1, Entry Level 2 and Entry Level 3) at each Young Offender Institution in the last 12 months:
	
		
			  Establishment  Lit  Total 
			 Ashfield 467 584 
			 Brinsford 277 368 
			 Castington 169 213 
			 Cookham Wood 8 22 
			 Downview 10 35 
			 Eastwood Park 25 41 
			 Eastwood Park 676 891 
			 Foston 0 0 
			 Hindley 164 226 
			 Huntercombe 167 253 
			 Lancaster Farms 185 263 
			 New Hall 25 44 
			 Parc 56 73 
			 Parc 361 458 
			 Thorn Cross 55 60 
			 Warren Hill 365 391 
			 Werrington 214 318 
			 Wetherby 416 527 
			 Total 4,309 5,992 
		
	
	The following table gives the number of juvenile young offenders assessed for literacy and numeracy skills on entry to custody in YOIs (data prior to 2003/04 are not available):
	
		
			   Percentage assessed 
			 2003/04 100.0 
			 2004/05 97.7 
			 2005/06 95.1 
			 2006/07 98.0 
		
	
	Data from the Learning and Skills Council's (2006-07) initial literacy assessments on for juveniles in YOIs is as follows (data prior to 2006/07 are not available):
	
		
			   Entry level 1 and 2  Entry level 3  Below entry level 1 
			 2006/07 1,367 2,219 54 
			 2007/08(1) 864 1,687 58 
			 (1) These figures are for August 2007 to May 2008.

Education: Young Offender Institutions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many hours per week of education young people in young offender institutions received on average in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the attendance rate for timetabled education and training sessions in young offender institutions was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what proportion of young offenders supervised by young offender institutions are in full-time education, training or employment; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The following table shows the average number of hours of education, training and personal development activity received by juvenile offenders in young offender institutions (YOIs) for all the years that YJB data are available:
	
		
			   Average hours per week 
			 2004/05 24.5 
			 2005/06 28.2 
			 2006/07 26.2 
		
	
	The following table gives the attendance rates per establishment in 2006/07:
	
		
			  Establishment  Class efficiency 
			 Ashfield 88.62 
			 Brinsford 84.91 
			 Castington 86.98 
			 Cookham Wood 61.59 
			 Downview 85.31 
			 Eastwood Park 82.71 
			 Feltham 84.15 
			 Hindley 70.19 
			 Huntercombe 72.26 
			 Lancaster Farms 72.13 
			 New Hall 73.70 
			 Parc 92.27 
			 Stoke Heath 81.80 
			 Thorn Cross 76.04 
			 Warren Hill 85.62 
			 Werrington 84.69 
			 Wetherby 82.65 
		
	
	Data on the proportion of juvenile offenders supervised by YOIs who are in full-time education, training or employment are not collected in the format requested. Under the Offenders Learning and Skills Service (OLASS), each young offender has an entitlement to 25 hours of education, training and personal development activity per week. The Youth Justice Board collect data on the average number of hours delivered across YOIs and the latest figures are shown above.

Education: Young Offender Institutions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what targets his Department has set to improve the educational provision and performance of young offender institutions; what progress has been made towards meeting these targets; when each such target is to be met; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not set central targets to improve the educational provision and performance of young offender institutions. The Youth Justice Board (YJB) sets and monitors the following performance indicators for education in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs):
	Assessment: All young people entering a secure facility are assessed for literacy and numeracy.
	Progression: 80 per cent. of young people must improve by one skill level or more in literacy and/or numeracy from the level of need set out in the individual learning plan. In YOIs this indicator relates to young people on DTOs of 12 months or more.
	Training plans: All young people entering a secure facility must have a training plan developed and subsequently reviewed in accordance with the "YJB's National Standards for Youth Justice Services".
	Hours of education and training: to ensure that young people in YOIs receive an average of 25 hours training and personal development activity per week.
	The following table shows the performance against these YJB targets for the years for which data are available:
	
		
			   Assessment (percentage)  Progression (percentage)  Training plans (percentage)  Hours of education and training 
			 2003/04 100.0 52.0 n/a n/a 
			 2004/05 97.7 41.87 93.0 24.50 
			 2005/06 95.1 42.5 80.5 28.24 
			 2006/07 98.0 36.1 94.4 26.20 
		
	
	We have published proposals to improve the education and training young offenders receive in the Youth Crime Action Plan on 15 July.

Foster Care: Truancy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many foster carers received fixed penalty notices for non-attendance of children in their care at school in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: Information on the number of foster carers who received fixed penalty notices for non-attendance of children in their care at school in each of the last five years is not collected centrally.

National Healthy Schools Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on implementation of  (a) the Healthy Schools initiative and  (b) the Sustainable Schools framework in each year since 2004; and what forecast expenditure on such activities is for (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Kevin Brennan: The National Healthy Schools Programme is jointly funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Health. The following amounts have been allocated for each financial year since 2004:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 5.7 
			 2005-06 9.3 
			 2006-07 12.2 
			 2007-08 13.2 
		
	
	£13.2 million provisional funding has been allocated through the area based grant for each year over the next three financial years 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11, with the option of adding more funds in each financial year. We have added £3 million to this financial year bringing the total to £16.2 million for 2008-09.
	The Sustainable Schools programme began in May 2006 and the Department has
	spent to date:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 600,000 
			 2007-08 1,015,000 
		
	
	We have forecast to spend in 2008-09 and 2009-10:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-08 1,015,000 
			 2009-10 1,000,000

Pupil Referral Units: Young Offenders

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attending pupil referral units were  (a) convicted of a criminal offence and  (b) received an official police caution in the school year 2006-07.

Kevin Brennan: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Schools: Sports

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions the Youth Sport Trust has had with the Association for Physical Education on the delivery of the National Schools Sports Strategy.

Kevin Brennan: Through their joint membership of the consortium contracted to deliver the PE and Sport Professional Development Programme, a workstrand of the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People, the YST routinely meet with AFPE. The last such meeting was held on 12 May.

JUSTICE

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) officials in his Department and  (b) employees of (i) agencies and (ii) other bodies reporting to his Department were (A) dismissed and (B) disciplined for matters related to their conduct in the last two years.

Michael Wills: According to centrally held records in the Ministry of Justice (former DCA), including HMCS, OPG, Tribunals Service, Wales Office, Scottish Office and MOJ HQ, 40 members of staff were dismissed for matters relating to conduct in the period April 2006 to the end of March 2007, and 53 members of staff were dismissed for the period April 2007 to the end of March 2008.
	The former DCA does not hold the information on the number of staff disciplined for matters related to their conduct centrally in the format requested. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The only information of this type held is on the Prison Service.
	According to centrally held records in the public sector Prison Service, 130 members of staff have been dismissed, and a further 587 members of staff have been formally disciplined, for matters relating to their conduct in the period 1 July 2006 through 30 June 2008.

Departmental Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of staff of his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years.

Michael Wills: The core Ministry of Justice employs staff previously employed on several sets different terms and conditions, each with their own legacy arrangements for bonus payments.
	The information provided as follows relates to former DCA senior civil service (SCS) and grades below SCS. The data exclude payments to magistrates courts staff (who became civil servants within this Department in April 2005 and whose terms and conditions did not normally allow for payment of performance or special bonuses) and staff in the Tribunals Service who joined the former DCA on 1 April 2006 about whom information is not available to us prior to 2007.
	
		
			  Proportion of members of the senior civil service not paid the maximum bonus amount during the past two years 
			   Percentage 
			 2006 82 
			 2007 75 
		
	
	
		
			  Proportion of staff below the SCS who did not receive the maximum performance bonus amount during the past two years (not awarded maximum performance bonus in respect of the 2006 and 2007 performance years) 
			   Percentage 
			 2006 86.80 
			 2007 83.70 
			  Notes: 1. Performance bonuses are paid to staff who are assessed to have performed over and above the standard expected from them over the course of the whole performance year. 2. During the above years there was one single amount paid to staff receiving an exceeded marking. This was £400. 3. Data referring to proportion refers only to those staff on relevant terms and conditions (i.e. only include former DCA and Court Service staff but not staff on magistrates courts terms and those who joined from the other Government Departments during machinery of government changes in 2005 and 2006 and who were not subject to the former DCA performance management or reward systems during the relevant period). 4. Information on performance bonus payments for the 2007-08 performance year is not yet available. These payments are implemented as part of the annual pay award which will be paid in August. 5. The information contained above excludes payments to staff on Home Office terms and conditions who transferred to the Ministry of Justice with the establishment of the Ministry in May 2007. Information for these staff for 2007-08 is included in the answer to this question provided by the Home Office. Information for 2007-08 as information is not yet available. 
		
	
	 Proportion of staff below the SCS who did not receive the maximum special bonus amount during the past two years.
	Special bonuses are paid to staff 'in year' for exceptional contribution over and above that normally expected during the performance year. Awards are benchmarked locally and there is 'no maximum' amount payable.
	 HM Prison Service. HM Prison Service became an Executive agency of the Ministry of Justice on 9 May 2007.
	In 2006-07, no member of staff employed by HMPS was awarded the maximum bonus available.
	In 2007-08, two members of staff received this bonus. The total number of staff in post at this time was 51,239, therefore as a proportion more than 99.99 per cent. of staff did not receive the maximum possible bonus.

Domestic Violence: Convictions

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for offences connected to domestic violence in each of the last three years, broken down by criminal justice area.

Maria Eagle: Convictions for offences involving domestic violence cannot be identified from the information held on the court proceedings database as the circumstances behind each offence are not collected centrally by my Department.

Driving Offences: Insurance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for offences related to driving without insurance there were in each police force area in each of the last 10 years; and what the average penalty imposed in each year was.

Maria Eagle: The available information relates to the offence of 'use of a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks'. Tables A and B provide data on prosecutions, convictions (findings of guilt) and court imposed fines from 1997 to 2006 (latest available). Table C covers fixed penalty notices issued from 1 June 2003 to 2006. Data for 2007 will be available later this year.
	
		
			  Table A: Proceedings and findings of guilt at magistrates courts for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks( 1)  by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006 
			  Number of offences 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000 
			  Police force area  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt 
			 Avon and Somerset 15,354 9,424 16,892 9,875 15,098 9,357 14,609 9,515 
			 Bedfordshire 4,724 2,951 4,449 2,992 3,479 2,328 3,594 2,307 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,440 2,395 3,425 2,507 3,058 2,233 2,929 2,216 
			 Cheshire 4,838 3,499 4,961 3,658 5,463 3,872 5,729 4,075 
			 Cleveland 3,925 2,798 4,204 2,908 4,331 3,027 4,793 3,573 
			 Cumbria 4,223 3,089 3,787 2,866 3,597 2,772 3,507 2,684 
			 Derbyshire 5,565 3,830 5,137 3,522 5,120 3,613 5,318 3,914 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8,422 4,967 7,232 4,263 7,493 4,681 9,234 5,872 
			 Dorset 5,271 3,458 4,198 2,777 4,776 3,013 6,035 3,540 
			 Durham 3,992 2,912 4,261 3,086 5,899 4,475 5,470 4,328 
			 Essex 7,161 4,507 7,025 4,635 7,336 5,035 7,898 5,328 
			 Gloucestershire 3,577 2,115 4,465 2,885 4,443 2,867 4,174 2,539 
			 Greater Manchester 30,655 20,548 30,836 21,430 33,228 23,697 33,783 23,865 
			 Hampshire 11,768 7,844 11,557 8,028 11,553 8,123 10,559 7,535 
			 Hertfordshire 4,580 2,573 5,799 3,056 4,748 2,789 5,258 3,310 
			 Humberside 4,408 3,479 4,279 3,501 4,894 3,920 5,024 4,043 
			 Kent 6,935 4,755 6,958 4,808 6,151 4,232 9,033 6,408 
			 Lancashire 20,334 11,577 18,794 11,198 18,111 10,800 18,354 10,981 
			 Leicestershire 9,706 5,990 9,481 6,265 11,054 7,281 10,263 6,713 
			 Lincolnshire 4,589 3,001 5,000 3,466 5,345 3,744 4,500 3,307 
			 London, City of 2,671 1,382 3,127 1,431 2,521 1,141 1,738 776 
			 Merseyside 10,896 8,435 9,747 7,694 8,932 6,920 10,054 7,708 
			 Metropolitan Police 42,283 25,873 35,064 22,874 31,285 20,893 29,649 20,117 
			 Norfolk 3,932 3,456 3,434 3,060 3,468 3,000 3,951 2,844 
			 Northamptonshire 4,999 3,083 4,849 3,271 5,571 4,151 3,949 2,971 
			 Northumbria 12,470 8,064 11,837 8,079 13,296 9,299 13,195 9,385 
			 North Yorkshire 3,926 2,778 3,744 2,538 4,003 2,656 3,905 2,548 
			 Nottinghamshire 8,078 6,149 8,726 6,658 7,957 6,156 7,748 6,034 
			 South Yorkshire 11,228 7,346 11,553 7,831 11,763 8,424 12,690 8,871 
			 Staffordshire 8,180 5,251 8,210 5,379 8,021 5,725 8,777 6,740 
			 Suffolk 3,258 2,202 3,743 2,283 4,189 2,547 3,923 2,319 
			 Surrey 4,942 2,439 3,908 2,051 4,436 2,278 4,941 2,571 
			 Sussex 9,333 4,726 8,202 4,150 7,415 4,198 6,796 3,777 
			 Thames Valley 11,887 6,258 11,948 6,311 13,543 7,291 12,816 7,426 
			 Warwickshire 4,316 2,595 3,769 2,394 3,523 2,192 4,135 2,309 
			 West Mercia 7,082 4,848 8,207 5,624 7,450 5,224 7,686 5,512 
			 West Midlands 29,878 18,484 30,928 18,969 27,409 16,407 28,148 17,896 
			 West Yorkshire 23,980 15,042 23,549 14,682 25,776 15,903 26,529 15,476 
			 Wiltshire 3,463 2,311 4,820 2,712 4,708 2,558 4,901 2,620 
			 Dyfed-Powys 3,079 1,953 2,852 1,952 3,017 2,044 3,072 2,073 
			 Gwent 4,097 2,899 4,478 3,344 4,451 3,452 4,680 3,777 
			 North Wales 4,859 3,280 4,452 3,309 4,102 3,097 3,697 2,839 
			 South Wales 14,829 9,936 16,187 10,629 15,406 10,467 14,615 10,273 
			  
			 England and Wales 397,133 254,502 390,074 254,951 387,419 257,882 391,659 262,915 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of offences 
			   2001  2002  2003( 2) 
			  Police force area  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt 
			 Avon and Somerset 13,022 8,393 15,124 9,700 17,163 10,558 
			 Bedfordshire 4,651 2,895 4,731 3,147 5,041 3,490 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,508 1,967 2,875 2,266 3,301 2,694 
			 Cheshire 4,975 3,885 5,765 4,540 6,385 5,354 
			 Cleveland 4,789 3,606 5,994 4,282 5,575 3,980 
			 Cumbria 3,595 2,887 3,540 2,876 3,488 2,849 
			 Derbyshire 5,429 4,218 5,614 4,670 5,793 4,888 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8,648 5,723 9,598 6,354 9,676 6,608 
			 Dorset 5,262 2,965 6,176 3,371 7,034 4,263 
			 Durham 5,394 4,343 5,840 4,614 5,802 4,518 
			 Essex 7,708 5,388 7,811 5,359 7,489 5,440 
			 Gloucestershire 4,683 2,677 4,417 2,286 4,412 2,579 
			 Greater Manchester 37,088 26,399 36,337 27,527 38,208 29,559 
			 Hampshire 10,349 7,614 10,912 8,063 10,619 8,095 
			 Hertfordshire 5,816 3,672 6,612 4,191 7,216 5,078 
			 Humberside 4,730 3,641 4,464 3,551 5,509 4,411 
			 Kent 9,592 7,042 10,059 7,697 9,788 7,452 
			 Lancashire 16,280 9,748 17,555 11,020 21,229 13,689 
			 Leicestershire 10,475 6,792 10,699 7,372 11,304 8,066 
			 Lincolnshire 4,083 2,956 4,242 3,057 5,883 4,269 
			 London, City of 1,826 1,020 2,353 1,330 2,563 1,605 
			 Merseyside 9,467 7,693 10,360 8,551 12,776 10,627 
			 Metropolitan Police 32,032 22,566 36,485 27,116 43,100 31,463 
			 Norfolk 4,744 3,033 5,563 3,590 6,322 4,461 
			 Northamptonshire 2,028 1,626 1,211 885 4,157 3,242 
			 Northumbria 12,504 9,184 12,309 9,286 12,951 9,826 
			 North Yorkshire 3,545 2,171 3,340 2,096 3,774 2,353 
			 Nottinghamshire 7,856 6,181 7,460 5,922 9,224 7,609 
			 South Yorkshire 14,623 10,079 13,859 9,975 13,745 9,882 
			 Staffordshire 6,027 4,678 7,056 5,723 7,214 6,072 
			 Suffolk 4,123 2,373 4,759 2,845 5,808 3,579 
			 Surrey 5,101 2,804 5,554 3,145 4,657 2,880 
			 Sussex 6,814 3,995 6,413 3,698 5,808 3,665 
			 Thames Valley 11,728 7,092 12,842 8,283 14,516 9,718 
			 Warwickshire 4,204 2,665 3,711 2,389 3,756 2,899 
			 West Mercia 7,787 5,731 7,849 5,812 7,735 6,014 
			 West Midlands 27,010 18,066 32,339 22,010 36,409 25,370 
			 West Yorkshire 27,618 15,842 24,873 13,952 26,966 16,967 
			 Wiltshire 5,292 3,264 5,326 3,162 4,794 3,006 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2,953 1,906 3,316 2,275 3,094 2,236 
			 Gwent 4,758 3,817 4,508 3,660 4,083 3,448 
			 North Wales 3,376 2,551 4,048 2,987 5,968 4,523 
			 South Wales 13,805 9,721 16,499 11,488 16,932 11,650 
			
			 England and Wales 388,298 264,869 410,398 286,123 447,267 320,935 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of offences 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			  Police force area  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt  Total proceedings  Total findings of guilt 
			 Avon and Somerset 17,489 10,862 14,625 8,688 11,834 7,444 
			 Bedfordshire 4,534 3,190 4,776 3,334 4,356 3,137 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,120 2,654 3,371 2,827 4,107 3,432 
			 Cheshire 6,515 5,372 4,592 3,871 4,463 3,803 
			 Cleveland 6,597 5,080 4,611 3,819 4,013 3,383 
			 Cumbria 3,446 2,753 2,855 2,199 2,654 2,098 
			 Derbyshire 6,326 5,505 5,869 5,190 4,352 3,841 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8,943 6,178 7,404 5,241 7,500 5,348 
			 Dorset 6,075 3,618 5,752 3,584 5,177 3,207 
			 Durham 5,300 4,029 4,454 3,186 3,285 2,427 
			 Essex 7,132 5,323 7,035 5,413 6,507 5,340 
			 Gloucestershire 3,695 2,438 3,500 2,042 2,838 1,876 
			 Greater Manchester 34,942 26,722 30,280 22,869 26,516 20,263 
			 Hampshire 9,750 7,467 7,882 6,251 6,529 5,356 
			 Hertfordshire 7,463 5,382 7,763 5,716 7,641 5,849 
			 Humberside 5,170 4,298 4,840 4,136 5,085 4,406 
			 Kent 10,673 8,347 8,535 7,050 8,154 7,055 
			 Lancashire 16,065 9,948 17,960 10,945 15,246 9,448 
			 Leicestershire 10,833 7,790 7,306 5,340 5,912 4,345 
			 Lincolnshire 6,621 4,766 5,644 3,907 5,242 3,873 
			 London, City of 2,812 1,122 1,499 1,068 1,575 1,130 
			 Merseyside 13,023 10,385 10,728 8,757 7,807 6,591 
			 Metropolitan Police 47,806 36,465 47,223 36,033 46,132 37,075 
			 Norfolk 5,084 3,734 4,442 3,436 4,054 3,175 
			 Northamptonshire 5,804 4,641 4,441 3,606 3,859 3,101 
			 Northumbria 11,685 9,106 11,728 9,348 10,347 8,629 
			 North Yorkshire 4,065 2,508 3,865 2,569 3,270 2,298 
			 Nottinghamshire 9,224 7,755 7,358 6,299 5,994 5,097 
			 South Yorkshire 11,416 8,497 11,246 8,484 10,307 7,838 
			 Staffordshire 7,439 6,317 7,224 5,959 6,328 5,399 
			 Suffolk 5,718 3,541 4,279 2,738 3,799 2,499 
			 Surrey 3,927 2,581 4,491 2,874 4,173 2,712 
			 Sussex 4,371 3,068 4,569 3,370 5,074 3,763 
			 Thames Valley 12,920 9,144 11,255 7,887 10,329 7,600 
			 Warwickshire 4,160 3,433 3,469 2,958 3,512 2,981 
			 West Mercia 7,249 5,498 7,144 5,604 7,042 5,679 
			 West Midlands 39,696 27,453 34,786 24,890 29,998 21,378 
			 West Yorkshire 32,404 20,175 26,667 16,220 21,641 13,751 
			 Wiltshire 4,641 2,778 4,599 2,814 4,466 2,793 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2,244 1,645 2,639 1,890 2,413 1,745 
			 Gwent 3,474 2,961 3,241 2,761 3,088 2,670 
			 North Wales 6,022 4,773 4,211 3,331 5,057 3,969 
			 South Wales 15,946 11,143 12,605 8,694 11,805 7,984 
			 England and Wales 441,819 320,445 392,763 287,198 353,481 265,788 
			 (1) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 143 (2) (2) As from 1 June 2003, 'driving a motor vehicle while uninsured against third party risks' became a fixed penalty offence.  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences may be less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Average fine imposed( 1)  at magistrates courts for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks( 2)  by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006 
			  £ 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003( 3)  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 259 204 165 182 130 133 138 154 154 155 
			 Bedfordshire 314 293 274 226 164 169 137 143 156 183 
			 Cambridgeshire 221 209 215 182 119 118 131 152 171 182 
			 Cheshire 274 248 237 211 149 153 167 179 190 195 
			 Cleveland 162 167 170 179 167 173 171 189 202 210 
			 Cumbria 150 171 220 265 152 151 159 169 171 186 
			 Derbyshire 270 279 283 296 337 355 367 367 376 372 
			 Devon and Cornwall 184 185 178 179 133 132 127 134 145 150 
			 Dorset 295 302 301 261 121 114 125 158 171 176 
			 Durham 181 177 194 160 118 122 121 116 123 132 
			 Essex 174 149 140 123 101 104 112 164 182 202 
			 Gloucestershire 154 202 247 240 91 86 133 147 143 140 
			 Greater Manchester 245 226 236 232 152 151 157 167 176 181 
			 Hampshire 132 135 138 136 119 122 124 131 138 141 
			 Hertfordshire 193 164 173 204 155 166 181 198 208 216 
			 Humberside 159 148 143 137 122 132 137 150 180 194 
			 Kent 246 241 227 271 209 192 191 197 204 221 
			 Lancashire 332 296 237 219 111 113 141 156 169 183 
			 Leicestershire 318 318 276 254 134 135 138 150 145 152 
			 Lincolnshire 159 197 209 188 133 134 148 179 185 196 
			 London, City of 332 314 346 375 369 368 334 230 198 214 
			 Merseyside 200 203 200 207 163 167 148 137 141 147 
			 Metropolitan Police 202 185 184 169 139 140 143 147 165 179 
			 Norfolk 242 256 265 210 99 107 139 152 152 165 
			 Northamptonshire 243 286 310 280 280 339 245 183 156 172 
			 Northumbria 136 146 148 144 130 135 135 137 142 148 
			 North Yorkshire 249 236 230 211 130 136 141 166 177 185 
			 Nottinghamshire 164 165 153 150 152 156 152 188 138 147 
			 South Yorkshire 194 206 191 170 128 137 146 125 147 143 
			 Staffordshire 251 228 234 198 152 163 166 186 230 256 
			 Suffolk 193 192 192 183 128 138 133 136 156 162 
			 Surrey 243 242 215 218 201 215 221 197 195 217 
			 Sussex 218 186 181 167 118 117 138 162 170 169 
			 Thames Valley 292 257 268 250 134 135 158 198 206 217 
			 Warwickshire 228 175 177 188 156 168 164 210 200 230 
			 West Mercia 268 282 282 263 176 180 165 193 208 218 
			 West Midlands 207 190 189 201 169 192 200 206 207 211 
			 West Yorkshire 255 242 242 209 120 123 134 144 144 146 
			 Wiltshire 152 182 186 204 283 286 280 200 208 228 
			 Dyfed-Powys 183 182 175 169 155 166 172 187 184 191 
			 Gwent 253 225 225 208 148 154 171 157 171 172 
			 North Wales 210 226 272 230 144 150 149 154 163 173 
			 South Wales 190 180 183 188 159 173 158 154 149 158 
			
			 England and Wales 224 214 212 203 150 155 160 169 177 185 
			 (1) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 10 each year. (2) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 143 (2) (3) As from 1 June 2003, 'driving a motor vehicle while uninsured against third party risks' became a fixed penalty offence.  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences may be less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Fixed penalty notices issued for the endorsable offence of driving a motor vehicle while uninsured against third party risks( 1)  by police force area, England and Wales, 2003( 2)  to 2006 
			  Police force area  2003( 2)  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 5 47 63 115 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 62 154 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 63 53 138 
			 Cheshire 0 40 101 203 
			 Cleveland 48 70 159 102 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 112 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 42 80 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 0 0 7 13 
			 Essex 0 0 6 362 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 3 
			 Greater Manchester 9 44 13 3 
			 Hampshire 0 111 125 393 
			 Hertfordshire 11 177 389 532 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 10 12 31 249 
			 Lancashire 42 91 174 409 
			 Leicestershire 34 62 19 212 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 46 
			 London, City of 2 21 9 51 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 102 
			 Metropolitan Police 43 147 490 1,408 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 (3)— 
			 Northamptonshire 5 40 93 74 
			 Northumbria 38 7 4 12 
			 North Yorkshire 33 95 92 121 
			 Nottinghamshire 21 42 101 162 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 36 122 152 274 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 95 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 12 
			 Sussex 0 0 0 115 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 31 50 70 146 
			 West Mercia 0 0 32 281 
			 West Midlands 0 37 0 3 
			 West Yorkshire 3 46 104 328 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 141 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 0 0 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 87 139 297 200 
			 South Wales 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 England and Wales 458 1,463 2,688 6,651 
			 (1) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 143 (2). (2) As from 1 June 2003, 'driving a motor vehicle while uninsured against third party risks' became a fixed penalty offence. (3) Force unable to supply data due to technical reasons.  Notes: 1. Offenders are subject to a £200 fixed penalty. However this can be increased to a maximum of £5,000 if the matter goes to court. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Electoral Register

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the percentage of voter registration is estimated to be in each  (a) constituency and  (b) local authority area in England;
	(2)  what the target level for voter registration is;
	(3)  what plans he has to enable local authorities to maximise voter registration.

Bridget Prentice: The Government have not made any estimate of the percentage of voter registration in each constituency and local authority area in England. The Electoral Commission estimated that 3.5 million eligible electors were not registered to vote in their report, Understanding Electoral Registration, which was published in September 2005. However the number of electors registered in England continues to grow and between 2 December 2006 and 1 December 2007 the number of parliamentary electors grew from 37,588,775 to 37,817,466 and the number of local government electors grew from 38,223,259 to 38,599,775.
	The Government have not set any target level for voter registration, as we believe that all eligible electors should be registered to vote. To support this aim we have taken a number of steps to increase voter registration rates. Section 9 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 placed a new duty on electoral registration officers to take all necessary steps to maintain the electoral register, including sending the annual canvass form more than once, making house to house inquiries and inspecting records that they are permitted to inspect. It is for the ERO to decide on the best steps to use in conjunction with their local knowledge to ensure that requirements for making contact with persons and maintaining the register are complied with. To support such activities we have made £2.5 million available each financial year under our Participation Fund, which allows EROs to apply for additional funding to assist them in promoting electoral awareness within their areas.
	The Act also includes a provision for the Electoral Commission to introduce new performance standards for EROs. The Electoral Commission is currently developing these standards and the final set of standards will be published during July 2008. A copy of these standards will be laid before the House and the information obtained from local authorities as a consequence will give us a better understanding of the actions taken to increase registration.

Incapacity Benefit: Fraud

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people previously in receipt of incapacity benefit who have had their entitlement to benefit withdrawn following a medical assessment appealed against the decision in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of those appeals were successful.

Bridget Prentice: The Tribunals Service holds data on the number of appeals made against decisions regarding incapacity benefit. This includes information on anyone who may have been refused incapacity benefit on their initial claim. It is not possible to specify the number of appeals made by people who have previously been in receipt of incapacity benefit and who have subsequently had their entitlement to the benefit withdrawn following a medical assessment.
	Between April 2007 to March 2008, the number of incapacity benefit appeals listed for hearing was: 65,723; the number of cases heard at hearing was: 57,806. Of these, 29,636 (45.1 per cent.) cases were successful.

Land Registry Act 2002

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if the Government will bring forward proposals to amend section 73(7) of the Land Registry Act 2002.

Bridget Prentice: It is possible that an amendment will be required to some of the provisions in the Land Registration Act 2002 to reflect the transfer of the Adjudicator's present jurisdiction into the proposed Lands and Housing Chamber of the First Tier Tribunal to be created under the provisions of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 and announced following the Ministry of Justice's recent consultation.
	However, the changes will only reflect the transfer and will not affect the rights of the parties in these disputes. At this stage, no timetable has been fixed for making the transfer.

Sentencing

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects of regional variation in sentencing practices, including custodial sentences, affecting young offenders.

David Hanson: The Youth Justice Board have commissioned a research study of sentencing decisions made by courts, to identify why some young people are sentenced to custody and others to community sentences. They will be considering its recommendations to inform any future work in respect of sentencing practice.
	In the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 we introduced the Youth Rehabilitation Order, the new generic community sentence for young people aged under 18, and made a number of other youth justice provisions. To reflect this change we will also be asking the Sentencing Guidelines Council to produce sentencing guidelines for young people. The guidelines and training will be delivered to sentencers to help ensure consistent and appropriate application of the new sentencing framework.

Young Offenders

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department has issued to secure establishments on screening of young offenders for  (a) mental illness,  (b) learning difficulties and  (c) physical disabilities.

David Hanson: All young offenders receive health screening on reception into prison. This is via an evidence based initial health screen used throughout all prisons in England and originally developed by Professor Grubin of the University of Newcastle. Young offenders are also screened for their educational needs. A new reception screen for young people has been developed by the Youth Justice Board and is being piloted. It contains a section looking at disability and impairment and covers physical and mental health problems.
	A general learning needs assessment is used to identify all learning difficulties and disabilities. Where problems are identified, either as a result of the health screen or the education screen, a referral to an appropriate professional would be expected to be made.
	Transfer of the responsibility for commissioning health services in Young Offender Institutions, and adult prisons in England, commenced in 2003 and was fully devolved to the NHS by April 2006. Primary Care Trusts work with their partner establishments to develop a comprehensive health needs assessment of the population and commission on the basis of that need.

Young Offenders: Custodial Treatment

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to prohibit imprisonment of offenders under the age of 14 years.

David Hanson: We have greatly strengthened and expanded the range of pre-court diversions and community sentences available for the police and courts to use when dealing with young people who have offended. The Government's Youth Crime Action Plan, which was published on 15 July, builds on this by setting out cross-Government arrangements for tackling offending and re-offending by young people.
	However, for a small minority of young people who commit serious offences, custody is the only appropriate response to what has occurred and the only means of protecting the public.
	Any offender aged 14 or under who is sentenced to custody is accommodated in a secure training centre or secure children's home. These have high staffing ratios, a child-centred approach and a particular emphasis on education.

Young Offenders: Rehabilitation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what facilities there are for the detoxification of children in each  (a) secure training centre,  (b) secure children's home and  (c) young offender institution.

David Hanson: There is a 24-hour clinical presence in each of the young offender institutions, and in Oakhill secure training centre, which experiences and manages the greatest number of cases of drug and alcohol dependence among young people. All other secure training centres and secure children's homes have arrangements in place to identify and manage, often with the assistance of local NHS substance misuse services, cases of substance dependence.
	The Youth Justice Board, Department of Health and the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse are about to issue jointly developed clinical guidance for the treatment of substance dependence among young people in secure settings. This will be the first document of its kind in the world.
	The guidance has been piloted in five young offender institutions (Ashfield, Downview, Hindley, New Hall and Wetherby), one secure training centre (Oakhill), and two secure children's homes (Vinney Green and Aycliffe).

Young Offenders: Remand in Custody

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of trends in the number of children remanded in custody while awaiting trial.

David Hanson: The proportion of young people held on remand in custody has remained relatively stable over the past five years. The decision to remand a young person in custody remains a matter for the courts.
	The following table (based on data supplied by the Youth Justice Board) shows the number of young people remanded to custody at the end of June in the years 2003-08 and the percentage of the overall under-18 custodial population this represented.
	
		
			   Number of young people remanded to custody( 1)  Percentage of under-18 custodial population 
			 2003 559 19.9 
			 2004 587 21.6 
			 2005 565 20.3 
			 2006 648 22.2 
			 2007 607 20.9 
			 2008 636 20.6 
			 (1) Young people remanded to custody on the last Friday of June 2003-08.

Young Offenders: Reparation by Offenders

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department has issued to  (a) local authorities and  (b) police services on the use of restorative justice techniques as a way of preventing young people entering the criminal justice system.

David Hanson: The Ministry of Justice has not issued any guidance to local authorities and/or police services on the use of restorative justice techniques as a way of preventing young people entering the criminal justice system.
	However Restorative Justice has been embedded in the youth justice system since the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act which recommends its use as part of existing disposals, if appropriate for the individual/s involved. Restorative justice approaches can be found in both out-of-court and in-court disposals-for example, in reprimands, warnings, referral orders-and will also play a part in the delivery of youth conditional cautions and the youth rehabilitation order which form part of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
	We announced in the children's plan that we will be piloting a new out of court disposal that will sit below reprimands and final warnings. This will be the youth restorative disposal which uses restorative techniques to allow a young person to apologise for committing an offence thus making them take responsibility for their actions at the scene of the offence.
	Our commitment to the use of restorative justice when dealing with young offenders is further evidenced by its inclusion in the youth crime action plan as part of our vision for the future of youth justice.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax: Flood Control

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of local authorities exercising their discretionary powers to discount council tax for flood victims.

John Healey: No estimate has been made of the number of local authorities exercising their discretionary powers to reduce the council tax payable in respect of properties damaged by floods.
	The Government are, however, currently seeking information from local authorities to determine which of them intend to use their discretionary powers under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to grant discounts in respect of the council tax payable on properties which are still vacant and require major repairs due to the floods of June and July 2007. The Government recently announced their intention to provide financial support to those authorities who exercise their discretion under section 13 A in these circumstances.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures are in place in her Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Parmjit Dhanda: All official hospitality is recorded in a hospitality register, held at directorate level. Human resources require register holders to supply aggregate figures from time to time, and conducts spot-checks on the registers themselves.

Departmental Press

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the communications and press budget for her Department has been in each year since its establishment.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 2 July 2008
	The Department was established in 2006. The pay budget for the Department's Communications Directorate is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2006-07 3,328,565 
			 2007/08 3,601,646 
		
	
	This includes press office costs of £1,465,772 in financial year 2007-08.
	For the press office element of the overall budget in previous years, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 31 March 2008,  Official Report, column 717W.

Departmental Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of her Department's budget and that of its predecessor was used for research within its areas of responsibility in each of the last 10 years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The proportion of my Department and its predecessor's spend on research since1998-99 against the total Departmental spend for that particular year is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Proportion of research expenditure against total departmental spend (percentage) 
			  Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions  
			 1998-99 0.3 
			 1999-2000 0.3 
			 2000-01 0.4 
			   
			  Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions  
			 2001-02 0.1 
			   
			  Office of the Deputy Prime Minister  
			 2002-03 0.1 
			 2003-04 0.1 
			 2004-05 0.1 
			 2005-06 0.1 
			   
			  Communities and Local Government  
			 2006-07 0.1 
			 2007-08 0.1

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the presentation on the inclusion of a return path within help scheme equipment referred to in the minutes of the Emerging Technologies Group meeting of 27 February 2008.

Iain Wright: A copy of the presentation made at the Emerging Technologies Group meeting of 27 February 2008 will be deposited in the Library of the House. One slide has been omitted from the slideshow since at this stage the disclosure of that slide would be likely to be prejudicial to ongoing discussions between Government Departments about the development of the policy.

Eco-towns

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason the advertisement from her Department on eco-towns published in the Stratford Herald indicated that the site of the proposed eco-town at Long Marston fell entirely within Warwickshire; and if she will arrange for corrected versions of the advertisement to be placed in local newspapers in  (a) Worcestershire and  (b) Gloucestershire.

Caroline Flint: As part of the first stage of consultation the details of all the shortlisted locations, including Middle Quinton/Long Marston, are set out in the expressions of interest submitted by bidders, and these informed the summaries of the proposed locations set out in the consultation document "Eco-towns—Living a greener future". These details are available from our website together with further information about the schemes. Warwickshire was given as the location for the Middle Quinton proposal as the bulk of the scheme lies in that county. In any future material we will make clear that parts of the scheme extend across the boundary into Worcestershire and also have an impact on Gloucestershire.
	We have just completed the first stage of consultation and through this and ongoing work we are assembling more details about sites, including Middle Quinton/Long Marston. In the second stage we will publish—for further consultation—a draft planning policy statement and a draft sustainability appraisal which will set out more detail for each location. Also as part of this there will be further consultation events around the shortlisted locations to provide further information and listen to the public's views, and details will be provided to media in all three counties.

Eco-towns

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to speed up planning procedures in respect of applications for developments of eco-towns.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) today (PQ 213886).

Eco-towns

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which of the sites proposed for an eco-town and not included on the shortlist her Department or its predecessor has  (a) sold or  (b) otherwise disposed of land under arrangements whereby her Department would benefit from a future sale of the land in the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: One of the Department's agencies, English Partnerships, holds surplus public sector land which is included in the bid for the Pennbury eco-town proposals outside Leicester, which is one of the shortlisted sites.
	As regards other former ownerships, information about land sold or disposed of by my Department and its predecessors in the last 10 years in relation to the other shortlisted eco-town sites, and those not shortlisted for further consultation and assessment, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Eco-towns

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what means she plans to accelerate the planning process for eco-towns.

Caroline Flint: The draft eco-towns planning policy statement, which we will publish in draft for consultation, will become a useful addition to the policy framework and will set out how local planning authorities will consider eco-towns through the planning system, which we already have in place. The eco-towns planning policy statement will be an important material consideration in the determination of any planning application for an eco-town, particularly where the development plan is silent or out of date.

Eco-towns: Greenbelt

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1037W, on eco-towns: planning permission, and the answer to the hon. Member for the Cotswolds of 25 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2303W, on eco-towns: green belt, which eco-town bids involve greenfield development; and what estimated number of hectares of greenfield land would be developed in each case.

Caroline Flint: Most of the eco-town proposals include a mix of brownfield and greenfield land. Initial summaries of greenfield/brownfield were included in the consultation paper "Eco-towns—living a greener future" published on 3 April. Several of the schemes have since been adjusted in the light of consultation with local partners and we will set out an updated summary of this information when the Eco-towns update document is published.

Empty Property

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1355W, on empty property, what estimate she has made of the number of homes that will be made available using the £200 million fund; and what assessment she has made of the effect this initiative and the Settled Homes Initiative will have on  (a) the numbers of households on housing waiting lists and  (b) the number of empty properties on the housing market.

Iain Wright: We have given Housing Corporation flexibility in 2008-09 to acquire up to £200 million worth of completed stock that can be put to use as affordable housing. We estimate that this will enable the purchase of between 3,000 to 5,000 properties. So far the Housing Corporation has allocated some £19 million, since the scheme was announced in May, bringing over 600 homes into the affordable housing programme.
	If properties at the right price, in the right locations and offering good standards are available, the Housing Corporation will consider investing further resources to support delivery of our demanding affordable housing targets.
	In 2007, £30 million was provided for the Settled Homes Initiative which will enable six schemes in London to purchase around 900 empty homes and convert them over time into quality settled social housing.

Energy: Conservation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of A-rated energy labelled circulator pumps installed in  (a) domestic and  (b) non-domestic properties.

Iain Wright: The labelling scheme on circulators is voluntary and therefore the Government do not hold information on the number of A rated circulator pumps installed in the UK.

Energy: Conservation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department plans to include energy efficient circulator pumps within Part L of the Buildings Regulations for domestic and non-domestic properties; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Department has started a review of the energy efficiency provisions within Part L of the Building Regulations. As part of this we are considering the potential for introduction of energy efficiency standards for pumps in domestic and non-domestic properties. Any such proposals would be the subject of formal consultation in 2009 with the aim of making amendments that would come into effect in 2010.

Housing Renewal Areas

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable she has set for establishing new  (a) output targets and  (b) funding agreements for Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders.

Iain Wright: Discussions with housing market renewal partnerships to agree output targets and funding agreements for 2008-09 are in hand. We expect to have completed new funding agreements, containing output targets, by September. As before, copies of these funding agreements will be placed in the Library of the House.

Housing: Construction

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely effect of conditions in the economy on plans to build 83,200 houses in Hertfordshire by 2021.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 June 2008,  Official Report, column 497W, to the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldsworthy).

Housing: Sales

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of current trends in the housing market; what steps she plans to take to implement the lifetime homes standard in current market conditions; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Government do not publish forecasts for house prices or house-building. The National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society, launched in February this year, stated that we would be undertaking a review of the take-up of Lifetimes Homes Standards across all sectors in 2010 in order to decide what further measures may be necessary to drive change in this area. This review will look at all relevant considerations including market conditions.
	In the meantime, the up-take of Lifetime Homes Standards continues to be encouraged through our policy of making them a required element in the Code for Sustainable Homes at Level 6 from 2008, Level 4 from 2010 and Level 3 from 2013. This will have the effect of ensuring that all publicly funded housing is built to Lifetime Homes Standards from 2011.

Housing: Standards

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the savings which will accrue to local authorities from implementing the lifetime homes standard.

Iain Wright: In the consultation document 'The Future of the Code for Sustainable Homes (Making a rating mandatory)' (July 2007) we published a Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment which estimated that the total quantified benefits arising from implementation of Lifetime Homes Standards would be 95.2 million per year. A breakdown of the costs and benefits are provided in that document. The proportion of this benefit accruing to local authorities is not specifically identified.

Local Authorities: Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the role of parish and town councils as  (a) residential landlords and  (b) housing enablers.

Iain Wright: The Department supports the development of a wide range of capable, viable and well managed housing providers. The Department has not made any assessment of the role of parish and town councils as residential landlords or housing enablers.

Local Authorities: Housing

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) guidance and  (b) financial assistance her Department has provided to local authorities to invoke (i) mandatory and selective houses in multiple occupation licensing powers and (ii) the Housing Health and Safety Rating System since the implementation of the Housing Act 2004.

Iain Wright: The Department has published guidance for local authorities on the criteria for making applications for additional houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing and selective licensing schemes. The Department has also published Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Operating Guidance for local authorities and Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Enforcement Guidance and Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Guidance for landlords and property related professionals.
	The Department has funded the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) to support local housing authorities in England and Wales in implementing mandatory HMO licensing and on the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. LACORS issues guidance, advice, and coordinates and disseminates best practice in relation to regulation of private sector housing.

Planning: Public Participation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the use of charrettes to involve local people in the planning process  (a) in Hertfordshire and  (b) elsewhere.

Iain Wright: The Department has made no assessment of this particular technique either in Hertfordshire or elsewhere. The choice of methods for consultation is a local matter.

Poverty

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the 100 most deprived wards in the UK were in  (a) 2004 and  (b) the most recent period for which figures are available.

John Healey: Data on deprivation are no longer collected at ward level. However, the following tables provide details of the 100 most deprived lower super output areas (LSOA) in England for 2004 and 2007. LSOAs have between 1,000 and 3,000 people living in them and, in most cases, are smaller than wards. The tables provide the name of the ward in which the LSOA is situated, as well as the local authority district.
	
		
			  Most deprived lower super output areas in England: 2004 
			  Rank of IMD( 1)  LSOA code  Ward name  LA name 
			 1 E01006559 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 2 E01005204 Harpurhey Manchester 
			 3 E01006755 Speke Liverpool 
			 4 E01005133 Central Manchester 
			 5 E01005203 Harpurhey Manchester 
			 6 E01005067 Ardwick Manchester 
			 7 E01006468 Princess Knowsley 
			 8 E01006676 Granby Liverpool 
			 9 E01005202 Harpurhey Manchester 
			 10 E01006561 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 11 E01005106 Bradford Manchester 
			 12 E01005108 Bradford Manchester 
			 13 E01006778 Vauxhall Liverpool 
			 14 E01006469 Princess Knowsley 
			 15 E01006436 Kirkby Central Knowsley 
			 16 E01005484 Central and Falinge Rochdale 
			 17 E01012070 Middlehaven Middlesbrough 
			 18 E01005482 Central and Falinge Rochdale 
			 19 E01014656 Lawrence Hill Bristol, City of 
			 20 E01005240 Moss Side Manchester 
			 21 E01005205 Harpurhey Manchester 
			 22 E01006599 Clubmoor Liverpool 
			 23 E01007122 Bidston Wirral 
			 24 E01005228 Lightbowne Manchester 
			 25 E01012891 St. Andrew's Kingston upon Hull, City of 
			 26 E01006647 Everton Liverpool 
			 27 E01006777 Vauxhall Liverpool 
			 28 E01013818 Aspley Nottingham 
			 29 E01006515 Abercromby Liverpool 
			 30 E01005129 Central Manchester 
			 31 E01005609 Blackfriars Salford 
			 32 E01006703 Melrose Liverpool 
			 33 E01006646 Everton Liverpool 
			 34 E01006704 Melrose Liverpool 
			 35 E01005658 Langworthy Salford 
			 36 E01011372 City and Holbeck Leeds 
			 37 E01005350 Coldhurst Oldham 
			 38 E01006563 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 39 E01006560 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 40 E01009638 St. Michael's Coventry 
			 41 E01006598 Clubmoor Liverpool 
			 42 E01006467 Princess Knowsley 
			 43 E01005095 Beswick and Clayton Manchester 
			 44 E01005130 Central Manchester 
			 45 E01012895 Southcoates East Kingston upon Hull, City of 
			 46 E01006750 Smithdown Liverpool 
			 47 E01008439 West City Newcastle upon Tyne 
			 48 E01013956 St. Ann's Nottingham 
			 49 E01005132 Central Manchester 
			 50 E01006494 Tower Hill Knowsley 
			 51 E01006493 Tower Hill Knowsley 
			 52 E01011361 Chapel Allerton Leeds 
			 53 E01006674 Granby Liverpool 
			 54 E01006442 Longview Knowsley 
			 55 E01026625 Nelson Great Yarmouth 
			 56 E01007124 Bidston Wirral 
			 57 E01007132 Birkenhead Wirral 
			 58 E01012041 Gresham Middlesbrough 
			 59 E01005065 Ardwick Manchester 
			 60 E01009585 Henley Coventry 
			 61 E01012069 Middlehaven Middlesbrough 
			 62 E01010730 Little Horton Bradford 
			 63 E01006756 Speke Liverpool 
			 64 E01013137 East Marsh North East Lincolnshire 
			 65 E01008291 Benwell Newcastle upon Tyne 
			 66 E01006447 Northwood Knowsley 
			 67 E01005201 Gorton South Manchester 
			 68 E01009365 Sparkbrook Birmingham 
			 69 E01007293 Tranmere Wirral 
			 70 E01007127 Birkenhead Wirral 
			 71 E01008214 Felling Gateshead 
			 72 E01006691 Kensington Liverpool 
			 73 E01005144 Cheetham Manchester 
			 74 E01006779 Vauxhall Liverpool 
			 75 E01005257 Newton Heath Manchester 
			 76 E01006470 Princess Knowsley 
			 77 E01006740 St. Mary's Liverpool 
			 78 E01011663 Seacroft Leeds 
			 79 E01010732 Little Horton Bradford 
			 80 E01012875 Orchard Park and Greenwood Kingston upon Hull, City of 
			 81 E01005213 Hulme Manchester 
			 82 E01008012 Manor Sheffield 
			 83 E01011357 Chapel Allerton Leeds 
			 84 E01006638 Dovecot Liverpool 
			 85 E01013960 St. Ann's Nottingham 
			 86 E01012028 Clairville Middlesbrough 
			 87 E01004672 Church Street Westminster 
			 88 E01009488 Washwood Heath Birmingham 
			 89 E01014653 Lawrence Hill Bristol, City of 
			 90 E01012266 Portrack and Tilery Stockton-on-Tees 
			 91 E01006679 Granby Liverpool 
			 92 E01005612 Broughton Salford 
			 93 E01006630 Dingle Liverpool 
			 94 E01006732 Pirrie Liverpool 
			 95 E01005142 Cheetham Manchester 
			 96 E01008380 Kenton Newcastle upon Tyne 
			 97 E01006448 Northwood Knowsley 
			 98 E01008818 Southwick Sunderland 
			 99 E01005243 Moss Side Manchester 
			 100 E01006540 Anfield Liverpool 
			 (1) Where 1 is most deprived 
		
	
	
		
			  Most deprived lower super output areas in England: 2007 
			  Rank of IMD( 1)  LSOA code  Ward name  LA name 
			 1 E01006755 Speke Liverpool 
			 2 E01005204 Harpurhey Manchester 
			 3 E01021988 Golf Green Tendring 
			 4 E01012721 Park Blackpool 
			 5 E01006778 Vauxhall Liverpool 
			 6 E01006467 Princess Knowsley 
			 7 E01006559 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 8 E01006561 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 9 E01006468 Princess Knowsley 
			 10 E01012673 Bloomfield Blackpool 
			 11 E01005484 Central and Falinge Rochdale 
			 12 E01006676 Granby Liverpool 
			 13 E01024858 Bank Hall Burnley 
			 14 E01008836 Thomholme Sunderland 
			 15 E01005482 Central and Falinge Rochdale 
			 16 E01009585 Henley Coventry 
			 17 E01005466 Balderstone Rochdale 
			 18 E01009365 Sparkbrook Birmingham 
			 19 E01006647 Everton Liverpool 
			 20 E01006469 Princess Knowsley 
			 21 E01013137 East Marsh North East Lincolnshire 
			 22 E01007532 Central Doncaster 
			 23 E01012070 Middlehaven Middlesbrough 
			 24 E01006599 Clubmoor Liverpool 
			 25 E01006703 Melrose Liverpool 
			 26 E01007122 Bidston Wirral 
			 27 E01006740 St. Mary's Liverpool 
			 28 E01008380 Kenton Newcastle upon Tyne 
			 29 E01006646 Everton Liverpool 
			 30 E01012720 Park Blackpool 
			 31 E01012041 Gresham Middlesbrough 
			 32 E01006699 Melrose Liverpool 
			 33 E01006563 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 34 E01006560 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 35 E01012655 Wensley Fold Blackburn with Darwen 
			 36 E01013818 Aspley Nottingham 
			 37 E01006756 Speke Liverpool 
			 38 E01010606 Bowling Bradford 
			 39 E01005067 Ardwick Manchester 
			 40 E01005658 Langworthy Salford 
			 41 E01012875 Orchard Park and Greenwood Kingston upon Hull, City of 
			 42 E01006442 Longview Knowsley 
			 43 E01007127 Birkenhead Wirral 
			 44 E01012678 Brunswick Blackpool 
			 45 E01006674 Granby Liverpool 
			 46 E01006630 Dingle Liverpool 
			 47 E01005568 Newbold Rochdale 
			 48 E01024908 Trinity Burnley 
			 49 E01006777 Vauxhall Liverpool 
			 50 E01005256 Newton Heath Manchester 
			 51 E01006732 Pirrie Liverpool 
			 52 E01005655 Langworthy Salford 
			 53 E01006679 Granby Liverpool 
			 54 E01028276 Ravensdale Mansfield 
			 55 E01006704 Melrose Liverpool 
			 56 E01005350 Coldhurst Oldham 
			 57 E01005196 Gorton South Manchester 
			 58 E01006540 Anfield Liverpool 
			 59 E01013139 East Marsh North East Lincolnshire 
			 60 E01010485 Low Hill Wolverhampton 
			 61 E01013136 East Marsh North East Lincolnshire 
			 62 E01024877 Daneshouse with Stoneyholme Burnley 
			 63 E01005228 Lightbowne Manchester 
			 64 E01006515 Abercromby Liverpool 
			 65 E01010617 Bowling Bradford 
			 66 E01009488 Washwood Heath Birmingham 
			 67 E01025041 Central Hyndbum 
			 68 E01008291 Benwell Newcastle upon Tyne 
			 69 E01012266 Portrack and Tilery Stockton-on-Tees 
			 70 E01020909 Woodhouse Close Wear Valley 
			 71 E01012069 Middlehaven Middlesbrough 
			 72 E01010823 Undercliffe Bradford 
			 73 E01012114 Grangetown Redcar and Cleveland 
			 74 E01005096 Beswick and Clayton Manchester 
			 75 E01009358 Soho Birmingham 
			 76 E01006779 Vauxhall Liverpool 
			 77 E01006677 Granby Liverpool 
			 78 E01009476 Washwood Heath Birmingham 
			 79 E01006558 Breckfield Liverpool 
			 80 E01012897 Southcoates East Kingston upon Hull, City of 
			 81 E01008011 Manor Sheffield 
			 82 E01006598 Clubmoor Liverpool 
			 83 E01005099 Blackley Manchester 
			 84 E01005203 Harpurhey Manchester 
			 85 E01006760 Tuebrook Liverpool 
			 86 E01009379 Sparkbrook Birmingham 
			 87 E01025286 Ribbleton Preston 
			 88 E01006417 Cherryfield Knowsley 
			 89 E01005667 Ordsall Salford 
			 90 E01005612 Broughton Salford 
			 91 E01007132 Birkenhead Wirral 
			 92 E01008214 Felling Gateshead 
			 93 E01015842 Kursaal Southend-on-Sea 
			 94 E01005205 Harpurhey Manchester 
			 95 E01007133 Birkenhead Wirral 
			 96 E01006470 Princess Knowsley 
			 97 E01007128 Birkenhead Wirral 
			 98 E01015155 St. Peter and the Waterfront Plymouth 
			 99 E01006746 Smithdown Liverpool 
			 100 E01005613 Broughton Salford 
			 (1) Where 1 is most deprived

Regional Spatial Strategies: Eco-towns

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 4 June 2008,  Official Report, column 983W, on eco-towns, whether regional spatial strategies will include plans for eco-town developments where the development is not supported by the local planning authority.

Caroline Flint: Regional spatial strategies (RSS) set out a vision for how a region can tackle housing shortages and affordability. New eco-towns could be part of how regions meet their housing shortfall.
	The 15 shortlisted eco-town locations have only reached the first stage. Bids that have cleared the first hurdle will face considerably tougher tests ahead if they progress and will need to improve proposals still further. All the shortlisted locations will face further examination including public consultation and a detailed sustainability appraisal which will test the merits and challenges for each one. Importantly no new eco-town housing will be on the green belt.
	All proposals for eco-towns will be subject to the planning process and subject to local planning decisions. However it is too early to speculate on what may happen in each local area and on local planning authority support.

Rented Housing

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) primary and  (b) secondary legislation governs regulation of the private rented sector; and what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals affecting regulation of the sector.

Iain Wright: Primary and secondary legislation flowing from the Housing Acts of 1985, 1988, 1996 and 2004 govern the regulation of the private rented sector. In January of this year we announced an independent review of the private rented sector to be carried out by Julie Rugg and David Rhodes at the university of York. The review has a wide ranging terms of reference including regulation of the sector and will report in October 2008. We will consider any proposals for legislation that emerge as part of work on the Housing Green Paper due later this year.

Rented Housing

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations have  (a) met the team leading the independent review of the private rented sector announced by her Department on 23 January 2008 and  (b) been invited to contribute to the review of houses in multiple occupation announced by the Housing Minister on 9 April 2008.

Iain Wright: The independent review of the private rented sector is not due to report until October this year and, therefore, it is not possible to give a full list of organisations that the review team have met. So far the team have met over 200 stakeholders, ranging from Government interests and consumer groups to landlords and institutional investors, through one to one and round table meetings. A list of all organisations which have had an input to the team's evidence gathering will be included in the report on the review when it is issued in October.
	ECOTEC Research and Consulting, the organisation undertaking research into high concentrations of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) on behalf of the Department, has spoken to a range of stakeholders including representatives of local authorities, universities, housing providers and their representative bodies, members of the national HMO lobby and colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive. A full list of organisations that took part in interviews and focus groups will be published as part of the research.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Antisocial Behaviour

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) arrests and  (b) prosecutions for (i) being drunk and disorderly, (ii) being found drunk on a highway, public place or on licensed premises and (iii) being drunk in or when entering a designated sports event there have been in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates court for the offences of (i) being drunk and disorderly (ii) being drunk on a highway, public place or on licensed premises and (iii) being drunk in or when entering a designated sports event can be found in the following tables. Data have been broken down by police force area in England and Wales from 1997 to 2006.
	The arrests collection held by the Ministry of Justice covers persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only. Details of the circumstances of an arrest are not collected centrally. Summary offences of 'being drunk and disorderly' are non-notifiable and as a result are not covered by the collection.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for selected alcohol related offences, broken down by police force area, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 1, 2) 
			   Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour( 3) 
			  Force  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 361 374 383 363 399 408 427 371 226 187 
			 Bedfordshire 166 314 220 186 187 197 219 136 84 80 
			 Cambridgeshire 122 144 159 148 151 154 189 167 169 132 
			 Cheshire 586 714 652 590 563 648 652 505 84 111 
			 City of London 26 31 54 43 44 53 70 53 51 61 
			 Cleveland 774 707 708 684 621 630 715 631 205 95 
			 Cumbria 808 812 802 521 558 514 525 471 328 322 
			 Derbyshire 294 286 231 254 292 357 425 342 211 228 
			 Devon and Cornwall 888 771 709 704 817 895 672 477 365 480 
			 Dorset 272 390 343 406 469 551 520 166 98 87 
			 Durham 406 504 491 538 563 541 603 406 378 286 
			 Essex 515 490 553 584 513 409 194 204 183 255 
			 Gloucestershire 147 200 153 158 164 180 201 139 62 44 
			 Greater Manchester 1,415 1,307 1,206 1,215 1,067 1,005 965 505 260 183 
			 Hampshire 1,270 1,393 1,306 1,133 1,072 1,117 977 590 455 251 
			 Hertfordshire 296 337 388 381 406 508 449 365 255 79 
			 Humberside 250 225 255 234 247 213 213 127 163 138 
			 Kent 560 720 865 900 911 928 1,107 1,118 532 436 
			 Lancashire 1,618 1,673 1,827 2,165 2,366 2,210 2,180 908 615 560 
			 Leicestershire 27 27 37 24 26 26 19 18 12 16 
			 Lincolnshire 478 624 584 458 506 528 556 484 70 60 
			 Merseyside 2,967 2,940 2,151 1,979 1,926 2,118 2,039 1,348 692 765 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,449 1,550 1,440 1,219 1,494 2,464 2,466 1,182 908 1,104 
			 Norfolk 108 114 115 131 146 151 183 94 58 51 
			 North Yorkshire 342 382 411 459 482 452 512 195 202 212 
			 Northamptonshire 26 24 21 29 33 29 25 32 41 31 
			 Northumbria 3,122 3,567 3,548 3,859 3,516 3,587 3,944 3,939 4,532 4,352 
			 Nottinghamshire 563 570 526 482 529 507 501 261 224 262 
			 South Yorkshire 1,186 968 1,148 1,264 1,248 1,271 1,497 1,204 551 544 
			 Staffordshire 320 305 247 (4) 215 251 343 223 209 160 
			 Suffolk 269 212 213 228 267 333 357 337 217 201 
			 Surrey 208 208 280 412 473 477 439 289 247 121 
			 Sussex 522 512 398 512 631 733 801 474 266 371 
			 Thames Valley 1,086 1,305 1,161 979 997 979 1,090 895 282 232 
			 Warwickshire 309 666 286 228 195 125 162 111 27 35 
			 West Mercia- 654 574 561 488 543 -455 413 483 516 437 
			 West Midlands 1,102 846 522 472 437 463 307 531 373 797 
			 West Yorkshire 2,655 2,764 3,097 2,809 2,101 2,071 2,260 714 687 1,384 
			 Wiltshire 370 426 267 275 262 284 426 290 147 105 
			 Dyfed-Powys 200 198 153 145 162 173 223 214 162 122 
			 Gwent 748 532 420 360 308 273 207 263 238 209 
			 North Wales 824 1,006 949 799 839 669 545 436 220 222 
			 South Wales 1,582 1,583 1,212 1,162 998 802 725 903 737 335 
			 England and Wales 31,891 33.295 31,052 29,980 29,744 30,739 31,343 22,601 16,342 16,143 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec.91. (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level. 
		
	
	
		
			  Being found drunk in a highway or other public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premise( 1) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 62 65 94 83 74 86 85 93 97 81 
			 Bedfordshire 54 153 96 52 31 20 48 28 31 17 
			 Cambridgeshire 37 31 39 46 51 51 71 48 55 59 
			 Cheshire 73 63 50 36 18 24 26 13 3 19 
			 City of London 5 1 1 7 1   2  1 
			 Cleveland 4 13  2 3 2 3 4 3 5 
			 Cumbria 43 42 25 14 18 16 9 24 21 19 
			 Derbyshire 38 43 47 64 60 53 40 11 6 8 
			 Devon and Cornwall 284 300 332 249 216 228 185 106 77 81 
			 Dorset 13 15 18 29 12 13 15 11 4  
			 Durham 24 39 38 22 45 22 7 8 16 14 
			 Essex 230 209 173 137 117 53 12 15 5 10 
			 Gloucestershire 53 90 57 34 35 34 20 14 14 17 
			 Greater Manchester 7 15 12 6 9 4 11 6 7 3 
			 Hampshire 355 488 350 240 166 131 77 58 55 22 
			 Hertfordshire 21 47 66 43 32 21 18 19 14 1 
			 Humberside 12 13 14 6 5 6 5 2 1  
			 Kent 157 148 148 148 144 154 154 123 58 47 
			 Lancashire 216 222 191 249 186 181 71 37 45 16 
			 Leicestershire  1 6 5  3 1 1 1 1 
			 Lincolnshire 36 51 27 26 15 16 10 9 3 4 
			 Merseyside 50 56 40 36 41 33 19 13 8 8 
			 Metropolitan Police 263 289 251 172 316 191 150 119 128 100 
			 Norfolk 66 66 68 68 58 58 72 40 27 14 
			 North Yorkshire 82 95 87 136 138 146 120 59 37 32 
			 Northamptonshire 7 6 6 7 1 9 3 5 3 4 
			 Northumbria 25 34 48 32 22 21 16 34 36 47 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 12 7 6 11 9 12  4 3 
			 South Yorkshire 19 17 22 33 14 9 6 13 5 2 
			 Staffordshire 82 71 41 (2) 17 17 37 41 43 39 
			 Suffolk 108 81 97 72 53 61 57 66 27 29 
			 Surrey 92 97 108 121 122 83 88 93 89 75 
			 Sussex 226 226 130 81 130 102 88 44 56 82 
			 Thames Valley 215 247 207 173 145 123 128 98 51 51 
			 Warwickshire 8 99 17 9 7 7 6 2 1  
			 West Mercia 99 65 78 20 23 10 6 10 10 10 
			 West Midlands 61 53 31 21 12 9 26 22 46 52 
			 West Yorkshire 53 107 73 71 29 37 92 76 35 44 
			 Wiltshire 68 73 66 52 60 53 50 66 80 72 
			 Dyfed-Powys 93 153 134 138 77 72 78 63 37 66 
			 Gwent 21 25 21 25 38 50 25 11 7 2 
			 North Wales 17 18 15 8 4 9 9 1 3 7 
			 South Wales 114 243 251 252 229 206 218 207 213 76 
			 England and Wales 3,495 4,182 3,582 3,031 2,785 2,433 2,174 1,715 1,462 1,240 
			 (1) Includes all under S12 of the Licensing Act 1872.  (a) Being found drunk in a highway or other Public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises.  (b) Being drunk while in charge on any highway or other public place of any carriage horse, cattle or steam engine.  (c) Being drunk when in possession of any loaded fire arms. (2) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level. 
		
	
	continued
	
		
			  Drunk in, or when entering, a designated sports event( 1) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 6 23 6 5 3 3 9 10 3 2 
			 Bedfordshire 15 5 11 9 4 2 2 3 4 4 
			 Cambridgeshire 9 6 5 5 8 4 2 4 2  
			 Cheshire 4 3 2 3 1 2 5 4  1 
			 Cleveland 9 7 26 4 15 26 14 13 20 23 
			 City of London   
			 Cumbria 4 12 1 1  1 
			 Derbyshire 2 5  5 3 11 4 15 8 2 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 3  6 
			 Dorset 6 13 3 11 12 8 3 1 3  
			 Durham   1 1 3   2 5  
			 Essex 1   14 3 8 
			 Gloucestershire   3 7 6 7 1
			 Greater Manchester 9 28 9 13 7 13 11 14 28 32 
			 Hampshire 41 15 8 16 16 9 19 22 14 11 
			 Hertfordshire  1 1 . 2 1  2 1 3 
			 Humberside   5 3 5 1 2 1 3 3 
			 Kent 2 1 10 3 3   1  3 
			 Lancashire 61 33 24 26 26 23 16 11 22 43 
			 Leicestershire  2 2 3   4 2 4 3 
			 Lincolnshire  12 1 2 1  
			 Merseyside 3 9 13 10 9 8 7 7 7 2 
			 Metropolitan Police 198 191 115 73 37 61 72 59 17 30 
			 Norfolk 12 14 7 1 11 10 7 8 21 4 
			 North Yorkshire 6 2 3 15 13 4 3 1 2  
			 Northamptonshire   11 1   
			 Northumbria 102 43 26 20 44 42 44 16 21 24 
			 Nottinghamshire 40 34 42 19 26 20 13 28 13 17 
			 South Yorkshire 48 20 27 23 41 31 17 30 26 40 
			 Staffordshire 3 1  (2)  5 2 5 6 2 
			 Suffolk 5 5 3 2 7 5 6 29 4 11 
			 Surrey   
			 Sussex 1  1 3 1  
			 Thames Valley 15 21 6 3 9 3 2 4 5 2 
			 West Mercia 2  1 2 1  1 1   
			 West Midlands 59 52 25 15 55 85 72 84 103 199 
			 West Yorkshire 32 33 30 53 68 47 25 34 49 46 
			 Wiltshire 12 22 2 18 11 1 1 5 6 3 
			 Dyfed Powys   
			 Gwent   
			 North Wales 2 3 7 5  2 4 1   
			 South Wales 2 6 3 2 5  3 3 7 3 
			 England and Wales 713 601 430 381 452 439 376 432 409 528 
			 1 Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 S 2(2) 2 Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted of crimes in which alcohol was a contributory factor in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: The Ministry of Justice does not hold statistics on convictions in which alcohol has been a contributory factor.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) fixed penalty notices were issued and  (b) prosecutions were brought for the offences of (i) selling alcohol to a person under age, (ii) buying alcohol under age and (iii) buying alcohol on behalf of someone under age in the last year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued, and the number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates court for the offences of selling alcohol to a person under the age of 18, purchasing alcohol while under the age of 18, and purchasing alcohol on behalf of someone under 18 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of defendants( 1)  proceeded against at magistrates courts and the number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued for selected alcohol related offences( 2,3,4)  England and Wales, 2006( 5,6) 
			  Offence code  Offence  Proceeded against  PNDs issued 
			 142/03,143/52,143/79 and 143/80 Selling alcohol to a person under 18(2) 1,199 3,195 
			 143/16 and 143/82 Buying alcohol when under 18(3) 15 73 
			 143/17 and 143/83 Buying alcohol on behalf of person under 18(4) 32 467 
			  Total 1,246 3,735 
			 (1) Includes other defendants, for example companies and public bodies. (2) Includes the following offences and statutes: Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises. (Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(1). Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169(1)) Sale of alcohol to a person under 18 (Licensing Act 2003 S.146(1)) Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 (Licensing Act 1984 Sec 181A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 Sec 17) Allow sale of alcohol to an individual under 18 (Licensing Act 2003 Sec 147(1)  (5)) (3) Includes the following offences and statutes: Person under 18 buying or attempting to buy or consuming intoxicating liquor. Person under 18 buying or consuming intoxicating liquor in licensed premises (Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(2) Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169(2)) Purchase of alcohol by an individual under 18 (Licensing Act 2003 S. 149(1X7a)) (4) Includes the following offences and statutes: Buying or attempting to buy intoxicating liquor for consumption by a person under 18 Purchasing intoxicating liquor for consumption by person under 18 in bar (Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(3) Licensing Act 1964 Sec 169(3)) Person who buys or attempts to buy alcohol on behalf of an individual under 18 (Licensing Act 2003 S149(3,4,7b)) (5) These data are on the principal offence basis (6) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) cautioned,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) given a penalty notice for disorder for selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years in each borough in London in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The number of  (a) cautions,  (b) prosecutions at magistrates courts for the years 2002 to 2006 and  (c) penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) for the years 2004 to 2006 for the offence of selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 years in the City of London and Metropolitan Police force areas can be viewed in the following table.
	We are unable to provide figures on individual London boroughs as data are not collected at this level of detail by the Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			  N umber of cautions issued, defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, and issued with a penalty notice for disorder for offences relating to the sale of alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years, in the Metropolitan and City of London police force areas, 2002-06( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4) 
			   Cautions( 5)  Proceeded against  Penalty notices for disorder 
			 2002 0 12 (6) 
			 2003 0 113 (6) 
			 2004 0 167 21 
			 2005 0 253 161 
			 2006 0 236 252 
			 (1) Cautions and proceeded against data are on the principal offence basis. Data on PNDs are a straight count of the number issued during each year. (2) Data include the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises. Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 schedule (s. 3) para 4(1). Licensing Act 1964 s. 169(1). Sale of alcohol to person under 18. Licensing Act 2003 s.146(1) Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Licensing Act 1964 s. 181A (1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 s. 17. Allow sale of alcohol to an individual under 18. Licensing Act 2003 s. 147(1) and (5) Sell alcohol to under 18 s.169A, Licensing Act 1964 Sale of alcohol anywhere to a person under 18. s. 146(1) of the Licensing Act 2003 (3) The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, other agencies, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (5) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. Reprimands and final warnings are included in the data. (6) There are no data for 2002 and 2003 as the PND scheme was rolled out in 2004  Source: Court proceedings data held by RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform Ministry of Justice

Corporate Alliance on Domestic Violence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the members are of the Corporate Alliance on Domestic Violence; what the outcomes of  (a) meetings and  (b) initiatives of the alliance have been over the last five years; and when it last met.

Vernon Coaker: In September 2005 the Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence (CAADV) was launched by the Home Secretary and taken forward by Baroness Scotland.
	Since its launch over 160 new companies have joined the Alliance, which has an executive board including, The Body Shop International, KPMG, the NHS Employers organisation and AOL.
	Key outcomes and initiatives have been the development of online resources such as a workplace policy template, strategic communications toolkit, case studies and information on employee training:
	www.corporatealliance.co.uk
	We are working with CAADV to review its terms of reference and work programme for this year.

Crime

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the performance of local authority areas in England and Wales in implementation of local crime and disorder reduction audits against objectives; and which local authorities were found to have the best audits in terms of  (a) clarity,  (b) mapping and  (c) methodology in the last year for which details are available.

Vernon Coaker: Following a review of the partnerships provisions of the Crime and Disorder 1998 Act, the duties to produce three yearly audits and to report annually to the Secretary of State on a partnership's work and progress were repealed in 2007. They were replaced by new statutory requirements in 2007 to introduce minimum standards for partnership working based on six hallmarks of effective partnerships, providing clear statements of the core functions of crime and disorder reduction partnership or community safety partnership in Wales. These include producing a strategic assessment identifying local community safety priorities and a partnership plan which sets out the approach for addressing these priorities. Partnerships have a duty to publish a summary of the partnership plan in a format of their choice but in a way that makes it available to diverse groups in their communities.
	We do not intend to introduce a compliance regime to oversee the implementation of the standards or the hallmarks. However, we will want to carry out a programme to review whether or not the statutory requirements of national minimum standards are in place and produce a preliminary report later in 2008.
	We are also developing a self-evaluation toolkit so that partnerships can identify their own areas for improvement. Regional Government offices are also available to offer advice and assistance to partnerships and we are taking forward work with the Association of Chief Police Officers on how best to make available local crime information including mapping.

Crimes of Violence: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of people under the age of 18-years-old in criminal gangs in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: There are no reliable estimates of the number of young people involved in gangs.
	The 2004 OCJS survey estimated that 6 per cent. of young people aged 10 to 19 were classified as belonging to a delinquent youth group (involving a group of more than three members who had been involved in delinquent or criminal behaviour in the previous 12 months, the group also having other structural features). However, these groups are not necessarily involved in violence and would not all be considered to be street gangs.

Domestic Violence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the minutes of meetings of the Inter-ministerial Group on Domestic Violence; what the outcomes of  (a) meetings and  (b) initiatives of the group have been over the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: We do not publish the minutes of the Inter-ministerial Group on domestic violence (set up in 2003). This is because the minutes often record the considerations made when formulating and developing Government policy. Any premature disclosure may result in closing off alternative decisions or courses of action.
	A report on the progress made against the National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan, which the IMG oversees, is published annually. The annual reports for 2005-06; 2006-07 are on the website and the report for 2007-08 will be published shortly.
	Key initiatives have been: the development of the Specialist Domestic Violence Programme; developing the co-ordinated Community Response to domestic violence; supporting the roll-out of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences; and the establishment of the Forced Marriage Unit.

Domestic Violence

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to establish a register of domestic violence offenders; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Government do not have any current plans to establish a register of domestic violence offenders. The Tackling Violence Action Plan however does ask crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs) to develop mechanisms for sharing personal information between agencies to monitor the behaviour of potentially violent offenders and move to protect those victims most at risk.

Domestic Violence: Curriculum

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on the treatment of domestic violence issues within the curriculum.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Affairs Committee Report into Domestic Violence, Forced Marriage and Honour-Based Violence published in June this year made recommendations on the treatment of domestic violence issues within the curriculum. The Home Office and DCSF have been working together on the Government's response to the report.
	The curriculum already provides scope for the exploration of issues relating to domestic violence principally, although not exclusively, within personal, social and health education (PSHE), which includes sex and relationship education (SRE). It is important that we focus efforts on raising the overall standard of teaching in PSHE and SRE, where issues to do with healthy relationships, managing conflict and aggression would be addressed, and alerting schools to ways in which domestic violence can be used as context for exploring key concepts within the PSHE curriculum. To raise the standard of teaching we are already training teachers on PSHE, rolling out the Healthy Schools Programme and providing advice and guidance through bodies such as the QCA and PSHE Association.
	We are also currently conducting two parallel reviews on how to improve the teaching of sex and relationships education and drug education within the context of PSHE. We will give careful consideration to all of the recommendations from the reviews when they report later this summer.

Domestic Violence: Re-offenders

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the levels of reoffending rates by perpetrators of domestic violence.

Vernon Coaker: We do not collect information on re-offending by perpetrators of domestic violence centrally.
	However we do have measures in place to reduce re-offending of domestic violence offenders. Firstly by focusing on the protection of victims through Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) which identify those victims most at risk of serious harm and develop interventions to reduce the risk of repeat victimisation and by managing the offender.
	Secondly, three accredited domestic abuse perpetrator programmes have been developed for convicted domestic abuse perpetrators. The Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme (IDAP) and the Community Domestic Violence Programme (CDVP) have been fully implemented in all probation areas in England and Wales. The Healthy Relationships Programme (HRP) is run in custody. To ensure the effectiveness of the programmes, a range of evaluation projects has been commissioned.
	Thirdly, we are funding RESPECT to develop national standards for perpetrator programmes outside of the criminal justice system.

Domestic Violence: Victim Support Schemes

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to begin the new scheme targeted at domestic violence victims with no recourse to public funds, which will pay their housing and living costs if they are granted indefinite leave to remain;
	(2)  if her Department will establish a working group with members drawn from non-governmental organisations and women's groups to advise it on policy on women with no recourse to public funds who have experienced domestic violence.

Vernon Coaker: The development of the new scheme which will provide support to victims of domestic violence who are successful in applying for indefinite leave to remain is currently being negotiated and will be implemented later in the year. The proposals under the new scheme will strengthen the way in which domestic violence cases are considered, enabling those victims who are vulnerable to access additional support. Details of the scheme will be made available shortly.
	We have established a national stakeholder advisory group on domestic violence which includes representation from organisations supporting women with no recourse to public funds. We will soon also set up a national Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) working group of Government, statutory agencies and third sector organisations that will promote a partnership approach to issues on domestic and sexual violence, forced marriage, so called honour crimes and female genital mutilation. The aim of the group will be to identify and develop actions and practical tools to assist victims and potential victims of these crimes.

Drugs: Misuse

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs that benzodiazepines should be included in Schedule II of the 1985 Drugs Misuse Regulations was not accepted.

Vernon Coaker: Benzodiazepines have been controlled as Class C drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 since 1986. The availability of benzodiazepines for legitimate medicinal use is regulated by the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Most benzodiazepines are regulated under schedule 4, part 1 of the regulations, with the exception of temazepam, flunitrazepam and midazolam which are regulated under schedule 3. Diazepam is also subject to instalment dispensing arrangements.
	In 1998, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs advised the Government that all benzodiazepines should be placed into schedule 3 subject to due consideration of the accompanying prescription and safe custody requirements under the regulations. In response to these concerns, the Government decided that rescheduling of benzodiazepines should be made on a case by case basis, with additional controls on the import, export and possession of all benzodiazepines. These controls were introduced in February 2002.
	In 2004, the Advisory Council concluded that the controls for the schedule 4, part 1 benzodiazepines were sufficient, endorsing the Government's response to its earlier recommendation.

Drugs: Misuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has conducted or evaluated on possible links between skunk cannabis use and employment rates.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office has not conducted any research or evaluation of possible links between skunk cannabis use and employment rates.

Firearms: Theft

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) shotguns,  (b) rifles and  (c) handguns were stolen in (i) England and Wales and (ii) each police force area in each year since 1997; and how many were subsequently (1) recovered and (2) returned to the owner.

Vernon Coaker: Data on 'misappropriated' firearms (i.e. stolen, obtained by fraud or forgery etc., or handled dishonestly) for England and Wales are given from 1997 to 2006-07. Breakdowns of these weapons by police force area are not available centrally for years up to and including 2002-03; therefore force data levels are given only from 2003-04 to 2006-07.
	Information on whether or not stolen firearms are subsequently recovered and returned to the owner is not collected centrally.
	
		
			  Table A: Firearms misappropriated( 1)  in crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, 1997 to 2002-03 
			  Weapon type  1997  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03 
			 Shotguns 539 524 395 447 431 423 462 
			 Rifles 193 155 179 200 172 139 129 
			 Handguns 305 270 242 219 167 79 85 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Firearms misappropriated( 1)  in crimes recorded by the police, England and Wales, by police force area, 2003-04 to 2006-07 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Force  Shotguns  Rifles  Handguns  Shotguns  Rifles  Handguns  Shotguns  Rifles  Handguns  Shotguns  Rifles  Handguns 
			 Avon and Somerset 31 4 1 11 7 0 11 1 0 2 4 6 
			 Bedfordshire 0 2 1 6 12 19 1 2 0 2 1 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 9 4 2 8 0 0 7 3 0 7 9 4 
			 Cheshire 8 1 0 13 3 1 2 1 0 6 3 3 
			 Cleveland 2 0 0 0 1 0 6 3 3 1 2 0 
			 Cumbria 4 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Derbyshire 4 0 2 35 1 0 7 1 1 7 11 4 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4 4 0 30 7 2 11 1 11 7 8 29 
			 Dorset 9 11 0 4 1 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 
			 Durham 5 3 1 15 3 0 2 1 3 1 0 0 
			 Essex 11 0 0 7 0 0 7 3 3 9 2 2 
			 Gloucestershire 3 2 2 4 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Gtr. Manchester 7 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Hampshire 10 0 8 8 1 1 22 12 4 8 2 3 
			 Hertfordshire 5 0 2 7 1 1 6 8 2 2 6 1 
			 Humberside 19 23 0 4 12 1 3 5 4 11 20 6 
			 Kent 16 11 3 23 1 6 2 23 0 16 9 2 
			 Lancashire 8 1 2 7 4 1 14 2 1 2 1 3 
			 Leicestershire 12 2 0 11 0 5 1 1 27 7 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 12 2 0 10 1 0 8 1 2 19 2 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Merseyside 0 1 1 0 0 1 4 0 0 1 3 4 
			 Metropolitan 10 11 8 11 0 2 15 11 12 19 22 9 
			 Norfolk 23 0 0 12 5 0 6 4 1 10 2 0 
			 Northamptonshire 21 0 8 24 0 1 11 0 0 6 1 0 
			 Northumbria 2 2 1 0 1 2 7 6 1 14 10 1 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 1 1 
			 Nottinghamshire 13 1 1 10 3 18 2 1 7 1 5 3 
			 South Yorkshire 4 0 0 7 0 0 12 4 2 6 0 5 
			 Staffordshire 9 3 2 12 6 0 3 3 5 5 25 4 
			 Suffolk 15 2 0 6 1 0 4 0 0 8 5 3 
			 Surrey 6 2 0 6 3 0 9 0 0 8 7 0 
			 Sussex 5 2 7 17 5 4 7 0 0 8 15 2 
			 Thames Valley 49 16 12 40 18 7 10 7 6 19 7 2 
			 Warwickshire 18 0 0 10 3 2 9 7 0 12 6 1 
			 West Mercia 11 12 10 15 15 0 4 24 11 13 11 1 
			 West Midlands 11 2 1 9 12 1 8 2 1 5 2 0 
			 West Yorkshire 6 1 0 7 2 3 9 2 0 15 3 0 
			 Wiltshire 2 2 1 6 2 0 3 1 0 1 0 1 
			 Dyfed Powys 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Gwent 2 1 2 4 0 3 0 0 2 7 0 0 
			 North Wales 8 0 5 0 6 0 1 7 0 4 0 0 
			 South Wales 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 397 130 96 403 140 81 243 147 110 282 210 103 
			 (1) Misappropriated is defined as stolen, obtained by fraud or forgery etc., or handled dishonestly.

Human Trafficking

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of human trafficking for sexual purposes were discovered in each of the last three years; from which countries the persons arrived; and how many successful prosecutions resulted.

Vernon Coaker: Under Operation Pentameter 1 (which concluded in 2006) there was a total of 88 victims recovered who originated from a number of countries primarily in Eastern Europe, the far east and South East Asia, Africa and South America. Under Operation Pentameter 2 (which concluded in 2008) there was a total 167 victims recovered from similar regions.
	Since the inception of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 there have been 84 successful prosecutions of people for human trafficking offences, many of whom also received sentences for related offences. Under Pentameter 2 there were 528 arrests. We therefore expect the number of successful prosecutions to rise in the forthcoming months as such cases progress though the criminal justice system.

Human Trafficking: Repatriation

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the 167 women and children recovered under Operation Pentameter 2 have been removed from the UK; and what arrangements have been made for those who have not been removed.

Vernon Coaker: Under Pentameter 2, 31 victims of trafficking have already returned to their country of origin voluntarily. We are aware that a number of non-EEA nationals initially believed by the police to be victims have been returned to their country of origin using immigration powers. Removal of individuals confirmed to be victims of trafficking would only be sanctioned if it was considered safe and reasonable to do so in accordance with the UK's domestic and international obligations.
	Adult victims who chose to accept support in the United Kingdom will have been offered a reflection and recovery period of a minimum of 30 days, support and accommodation.
	Of the 13 children recovered in the operation, nine remain in the care of local authorities and four returned home voluntarily following an assessment concluding that it was safe to do so.

Money Laundering

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment  (a) her Department and  (b) the Serious Organised Crime Agency has made of the extent of money laundering from social housing sales.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office looks to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) to make such assessments. On 6 June 2008, SOCA published its unrestricted version of the UK Threat Assessment of Serious Organised Crime which noted the attraction property has for money launderers. SOCA continues to monitor new and emerging threats to the UK from money laundering, including the abuse of 'right to buy' property.

Police Deaths on Duty

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) social workers were unlawfully killed while carrying out their duties in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Available data are from the Homicide Index and relate to offences currently recorded as homicides in England and Wales as at 12 November 2007. This is in the following table.
	
		
			  Offences currently recorded( 1)  as homicide where victim was killed in the course of their employment, by selected occupations, England and Wales, 1997-98 to 2006-07( 2, 3) 
			  Number 
			   Victim occupation 
			  Year recorded( 2)  Police officer  Social worker 
			 1997-98 1 0 
			 1998-99 0 1 
			 1999-2000 2 0 
			 2000-01 3 0 
			 2001-02 0 0 
			 2002-03 4 0 
			 2003-04 2 0 
			 2004-05 1 0 
			 2005-06 1 0 
			 2006-07 1 1 
			 (1) As at 12 November 2007; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Offences are shown according to the year in which police initially recorded the offence as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (3) Data for 2007-08 are not yet published.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stop and account forms have been issued since their introduction, broken down by police force area.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	Data on stops and account are collected by police force area and are published in the 'Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System2006-07' report for the first time this month
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/raceandcis.htm
	This information is contained in the following table, but can also be found in Table 4.9 of the report.
	
		
			  Total stops, by police force 2005-06  to  2006-07 
			  Police force area  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,501 8,043 15,544 
			 Bedfordshire 11,114 7,745 18,859 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,506 17,708 22,214 
			 Cheshire 48,113 75,167 123,280 
			 Cleveland 61,618 70,279 131,897 
			 Cumbria 7,091 18,698 25,789 
			 Derbyshire 14,960 20,159 35,119 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,924 3,266 6,190 
			 Dorset 1,694 2,144 3,838 
			 Durham 7,675 16,017 23,692 
			 Essex 45,251 62,946 108,197 
			 Gloucestershire 5,158 12,789 17,947 
			 Greater Manchester 54,188 77,549 131,737 
			 Hampshire 43,006 59,328 102,334 
			 Hertfordshire 28,984 43,326 72,310 
			 Humberside 11,782 30,575 42,357 
			 Kent 12,865 14,200 27,065 
			 Lancashire 47,673 60,742 108,415 
			 Leicestershire 11,568 17,453 29,021 
			 Lincolnshire 16,525 30,268, 46,793 
			 London, City of 61,853 28,583 90,436 
			 Merseyside 96,878 164,715 261,593 
			 Metropolitan Police 176,278 244,571 420,849 
			 Norfolk 5,749 9,504 15,253 
			 Northamptonshire 12,651 24,329 36,980 
			 Northumbria 56,446 88,361 144,807 
			 North Yorkshire 10,261 23,688 33,949 
			 Nottinghamshire 25,499 24,413 49,912 
			 South Yorkshire 19,018 36,174 55,192 
			 Staffordshire 15,985 21,154 37,139 
			 Suffolk 5,522 6,647 = 12,169 
			 Surrey 10,819 19,529 30,348 
			 Sussex 78,103 90,685 168,788 
			 Thames Valley 29,371 56,782 86,153 
			 Warwickshire 6,806 3,857 10,663 
			 West Mercia 17,492 20,514 38,006 
			 West Midlands 147,861 142,998 290,859 
			 West Yorks 88,794 104,167 192,961 
			 Wiltshire 6,410 6,763 13,173 
			 
			 Dyfed Powys 28,955 27,148 56,103 
			 Gwent 8,810 12,434. 21,244 
			 North Wales 8,025 14,277 22,302 
			 South Wales 38,963 48,875 87,838 
			 
			 England and Wales 1,400,745 1,868,570 3,269,315

Road Traffic Offences: Fixed Penalties

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will increase the fixed penalty for offences under section 14(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1998 to 80; what recent representations she has received about this issue; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The penalty levels associated with all fixed penalty offences are kept under review. We are currently considering a proposal from the Association of Chief Police Officers that for the offence of failure to comply with seat belt legislation the level of fixed penalty should rise from 30 to 60. Before any change is made section 88(2) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 requires consultation with such representative organisations as the Secretary of State thinks fit.

Sexual Offences

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2008,  Official Report, column 335W, on sexual offences, how many and what proportion of visas issued were accompanied by notification orders in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: Notification orders are issued by courts. This is a separate process from the issuing of visas. While figures for the number of notification orders issued are collected by local MAPPA responsible authorities, these authorities do not collate information on the proportion of orders issued for persons who had been granted a visa to enter the UK. It is not therefore possible to say how many visas were followed by notification orders.

Violent and Sex Offender Register: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals of each  (a) sex and  (b) age group in Wales were placed on (i) List 99 and (ii) the sex offenders register in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: (i) The details held by the Department of Children, Schools and Families of individuals on List 99 were recorded at the time these people were placed on the list. Identifying the age, sex and number of individuals who had home addresses in Wales at the time of listing would require individual case records to be checked and this would incur disproportionate cost.
	Once an individual is on List 99, a standard or enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure will reveal the barred status of that individual to an employer together with details of any criminal convictions. Information on an individual's address at the time of listing is not necessary in order to check whether that person is barred.
	(ii) Information on the number of registered sexual offenders (RSOs) has been reported annually by multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) responsible authorities since 2002 and is as follows:
	
		
			  RSOs in Wales 
			   Number 
			 2002 1,131 
			 2003 1,370 
			 2004 1,465 
			 2005 1,794 
			 2006 1,774 
			 2007 1,805 
		
	
	Data on RSOs was not collected centrally before 2002 and is not broken down routinely by gender and age group. Work is currently under way to amend ViSOR (the national database of sexual and violent offenders and other dangerous persons) to support more detailed standardised reporting in relation to RSOs, including their age and gender. The intention is to have this facility available by early 2009.

TRANSPORT

A36

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the Highways Agency spent 449,000 on work associated with the construction of the roundabout on the A36 at Ower in New Forest East constituency; for what reasons the roundabout has not been built; and if she will break down by category the expenditure incurred on the project in each year since 2002.

Tom Harris: holding answer 14 July 2008
	 The Highways Agency has spent approximately 449,000 on preparatory work for a proposed roundabout scheme with an estimated cost of 2.5 million to improve safety for road users at the junction of Whinwhistle Road and the A36 Salisbury Road. This work was carried out due to the very poor accident history at this T junction on the trunk road prior to 2003.
	The roundabout has not been built at this highly sensitive rural location because since it was proposed, several other measures have been implemented. Subsequent monitoring shows that these measures have been effective and reduced the number of accidents by 50 per cent. and their severity to more satisfactory, national norms.
	The breakdown of expenditure by category type for this scheme between financial year 2002-03 and financial year 2007-08 is as follows:
	
		
			  HA activity description  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Surveys-Topographical/Ecological/Drainage/Archaeological7,330 26,510 13,030 46,870 
			 Outline Design/Lighting20,676 50,771 4,144 75,591 
			 Value Engineering Design/CDM562 22,348 46,002 68,912 
			 Scheme Management1,429 34,915 62,644 98,988 
			 Studies/Surveys Traffic 790 26,276 28,553 15,870 78,347 1,057 150,893 
			 Safety Audits/Specialist857 1,043 755 2,655 
			 Supervision 2,908 1,061 3,969 
			 Total 3,698 26,276 28,553 46,724 213,934 128,693 447,878

Aviation: Luggage

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the changes to aviation carry-on luggage rules since January 2008.

Jim Fitzpatrick: From 7 January 2008, airports were permitted to lift the one-bag restriction, provided they were able to demonstrate that in doing so it would not have an adverse impact on security. The benefit of allowing more than one bag per passenger has been passed on to the majority of passengers departing airports in the UK. As with all security measures, their effectiveness is subject to regular monitoring to ensure that standards are maintained.

Aviation: Luggage

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how long on average applications have taken for an airport wishing to end the one-bag rule between the application being made and permission being granted or denied.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The length of time taken to process applications has varied considerably depending on the quality and accuracy of applications received.

Aviation: Pollution

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has had discussions with the European Commission on a possible derogation from the NOx provisions of the EU Air Quality directive.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has not had discussions with the European Commission on this matter.

Aviation: Royal Family

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1W, on Royal and Ministerial air travel, if she will place in the Library copies of the cost-benefit analyses undertaken on the procurement of  (a) a short haul plane and  (b) a long haul plane for Ministerial and Royal travel in the last nine months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As the consideration of security for royal and ministerial air travel was integral to our analysis of costs and benefits, it would not be appropriate to publish this material. Similarly, as much of our cost data were derived from readily identifiable commercial sources, and were shared with us on the understanding that they would be protected, publication of this information would prejudice commercial interests.

Bus Services: Private Sector

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many private bus companies are in operation.

Rosie Winterton: The Government do not hold this information centrally. However, there are currently some 1,500 local bus service operators claiming bus service operators grant (BSOG) from the Department.

Departmental Early Retirement

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in  (a) her Department and  (b) her Department's agencies have taken early retirement in the last two years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The central Department and its agencies recorded the following number of early retirements in the last two financial years:
	
		
			  E arly retirements 
			   Number 
			 2006-07 274 
			 2007-08 239

Departmental Internet

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pages have been added to her Department's website in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: For the period 11 July 2007 to 10 July 2008, the Department published 1,655 specific web pages. In addition, we published 2,174 files on the website, which comprised a mix of PDF documents of various sizes, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, audio and video files.

Departmental Marketing

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was of  (a) internet and website design and hosting,  (b) print media design and  (c) broadcast media for each of her Department's public information campaigns since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The extent of information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Retirement

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has a standard retirement age.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has a standard retirement age of 65. Employees may however request to continue working beyond age 65, subject to the normal requirements of attendance, efficiency and conduct procedures.

Departmental Travel

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2008 to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet, (Mr Villiers)  Official Report, column 400W, on departmental travel, on what date DFT(C) data will be available.

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the figures for staff travel costs for her central Department to be available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Temporary difficulties were experienced in extracting some detailed information from a legacy accounting system which was replaced at the beginning of the current financial year. It is anticipated that these difficulties will be overcome by the end of July.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Telephone Services

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what income her Department received from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's 0870 number in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency income received from 0870 number rebates in each of the last three financial years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Revenue received  () 
			 2007-08 3,387,603 
			 2006-07 2,894,284 
			 2005-06 2,423,517

Driving Tests

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what increase in the driving test fee would be required to raise the amount of money expected to be saved through closures of driving test centres.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 14 July 2008
	 The Driving Standards Agency does not have this information. To collate it would incur disproportionate costs.

Eurostar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will bring forward proposals to develop a regional Eurostar link.

Tom Harris: Any changes to Eurostar service patterns are a matter for Eurostar. The Department for Transport does not have any proposals to develop a regional Eurostar link.

Fish

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much fish was procured by her Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions staff employed by her Department defrauded her Department in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The answer covers the period since the Department was formed on 29 May 2002. Since that date, the number of occasions staff have defrauded the Department is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of occasions 
			 2002-03 5 
			 2003-04 31 
			 2004-05 25 
			 2005-06 22 
			 2006-07 20 
			 2007-08 20 
		
	
	The number of occasions for years 2003-04 and 2004-05 also includes fraud committed by staff at South Eastern Trains when the rail franchise was under the direct control of the Strategic Rail Authority.

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the losses to her Department from fraud committed by staff of her Department in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The answer covers the period since the Department was formed on 29 May 2002. Since that date, the estimated cost of fraud committed by staff (including theft) in the Department is as follows:
	
		
			   Estimated amount () 
			 2002-03 15,600 
			 2003-04 51,663 
			 2004-05 27,035 
			 2005-06 11,990 
			 2006-07 3,866 
			 2007-08 9,124 
		
	
	Assets have been valued at cost, net book value or replacement cost depending on the circumstance of the individual case.
	The estimated amount for years 2003-04 and 2004-05 also includes fraud committed by staff at South Eastern Trains when the rail franchise was under the direct control of the Strategic Rail Authority.

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were prosecuted for  (a) attempting to defraud and  (b) defrauding her Department in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The answer covers the period since the Department was formed on the 29 May 2002. Since that date, the number of staff prosecuted for defrauding and attempting to defraud the Department is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of staff prosecuted 
			 2002-03 3 
			 2003-04 11 
			 2004-05 3 
			 2005-06 5 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 2 
		
	
	It has not been possible to differentiate between staff prosecuted for  (a) attempting to defraud and  (b) defrauding my Department as to do so would involve a disproportionate cost.
	The numbers provided for years 2003-04 and 2004-05 also includes the prosecution of staff at South Eastern Trains when the rail franchise was under the direct control of the Strategic Rail Authority.

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff of her Department were responsible for each instance of fraud or attempted fraud in her Department in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The answer covers the period since the Department was formed on 29 May 2002. Since that date, the number of staff responsible for each instance of fraud in the Department is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of staff 
			 2002-03 5 
			 2003-04 31 
			 2004-05 25 
			 2005-06 23 
			 2006-07 20 
			 2007-08 22 
		
	
	The number of staff involved for years 2003-04 and 2004-05 also includes fraud committed by staff at South Eastern Trains when the rail franchise was under the direct control of the Strategic Rail Authority.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 939-40W, on Heathrow Airport, which of her Department's staff worked with BAA on the work specified in the answer.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The technical work which underpinned the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation was managed by the Department's Aviation Directorate. The relevant directors and heads of division leading this were:
	Jonathan MoorDirector, Airports Strategy
	John ParkinsonHead of Airports Policy Division (from July 2007)
	Jonathan SharrockHead of Airports Policy Division (up to June 2007)
	Martin CapstickHead of Aviation Environment Division
	David HartHead of International Networks Analysis and Support Division.

High Speed Trains: EC Law

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the costs of implementing Commission Decision 2008/164/EC on the high speed rail network; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: As a result of Commission Decision 2008/164/EC, the Technical Specification for InteroperabilityPersons with Reduced Mobility ('PRM TSI') came into force in the UK on 1 July 2008. The PRM TSI sets out accessibility standards for passenger trains and stations on both the conventional and high speed Trans-European Network.
	The PRM TSI replaces very similar domestic access standards for stations and trains which had been in place for several years. We do not, therefore, expect that its implementation will have a significant impact on costs.

Highways Agency: Complaints

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2008,  Official Report, Question 209057, whether the Putting Things Right procedure is made available to the public in hard copy.

Tom Harris: Yes. Members of the public may request a hard copy of the Putting Things Right leaflet from any Highways Agency office or their information line on 08457 50 40 30.

Leicester to London Railway Line

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  who the main service provider of the Leicester to London high speed train will be;
	(2)  what effect the construction of the high speed train link will have on travel times between Leicester and London until the link has been completed; and what plans she has to reduce adverse effects on travel times during this period.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State invited Network Rail to begin work to develop longer-term options for the railway network. As part of this, on 23 June 2008 Network Rail announced a strategic review of the case for new rail lines. It will consider five of Network Rail's strategic routes, north and west of London: Chiltern, East Coast, West Coast, Great Western and Midland Main Lines. It is too early to say what the results of this study will be or where any potential new lines might go. The study is expected to be complete in July 2009.

Leicester to London Railway Line

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the railway track improvements between Leicester and London will be completed.

Tom Harris: This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London NW1 2EE.

London to Cardiff Railway Line

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2008,  Official Report, column 745W, on the London to Cardiff railway line, where the potential new rail line along the Great Western main line being examined by Network Rail would end.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State invited Network Rail to begin work to develop longer-term options for the railway network. In response to this, on 23 June 2008 Network Rail announced a strategic review of the case for new rail lines. It will consider five of Network Rail's strategic routes, north and west of London: Chiltern, East coast, West Coast, Great Western and Midland main Lines. It is too early to say what the results of this study will be or where any potential new lines might go. The study is expected to be complete in July 2009.

Lorries: Accidents

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in how many serious injury accidents left-hand drive heavy goods vehicles were involved in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of reported serious road accidents involving at least one foreign registered left hand drive heavy goods vehicle in Great Britain in 2005-07 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of serious injury accidents 
			 2005 93 
			 2006 77 
			 2007 93

Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 10 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 88-90WS, on new cars: emissions targets, what position she has taken in discussions with the EU in respect of a possible derogation for Jaguar and Land Rover.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The UK is not seeking a derogation for any one specific automotive manufacturer. The UK position is that manufacturers that only produce a narrow range of products, while still being subject to challenging mandatory targets, should not be unfairly disadvantaged as compared to their competitors who produce a wider range of vehicle types. Our position on this is set out in more detail in the new car CO2 consultation document on the DfT website.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency spent on its vehicle testing centres in 2007-08.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The cost of running Vehicle and Operator Services Agency's testing centres in 2007-08 was 6.9 million, this includes rent, rates and maintenance and other locally incurred costs such as telecommunications. This figure excludes staff related costs and major improvement programmes.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicle test centres are managed by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) manages 89 goods vehicle testing stations, with a further five single vehicle approval/vehicle identity check sites.

Motorways: Accidents

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents involving stationary vehicles on motorway hard shoulders were reported in each year since 2004, broken down by motorway; and how many people were  (a) injured and  (b) killed in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The total number of road traffic accidents on motorway hard shoulders that have resulted in personal injury (PIAs) in each year since 2004, are listed in the following table. The statistics include all motorways that are the responsibility of the Highways Agency, with at least one accident.
	
		
			   Accidents  Killed casualties  All casualties 
			  Road  2004  2005  2006  2007  2004  2005  2006  2007  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 M1 12 19 7 7 1 7 0 1 21 32 12 9 
			 M2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 
			 M3 5 1 3 1 0 0 1 0 5 4 6 1 
			 M4 6 9 0 3 2 3 0 0 14 10 0 4 
			 M5 6 4 5 2 0 0 1 0 11 5 8 4 
			 M6 6 11 5 8 0 1 1 0 7 24 12 12 
			 M11 9 3 3 0 0 0 3 0 12 4 4 0 
			 M20 1 4 1 3 0 1 0 0 1 8 1 6 
			 M23 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 M25 4 7 5 16 0 2 4 3 15 20 11 31 
			 M26 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 
			 M27 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 
			 M40 4 5 5 4 0 0 0 1 9 10 9 5 
			 M42 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 0 
			 M56 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 M57 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 
			 M60 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 
			 M61 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 M62 3 3 3 6 0 0 0 0 3 4 3 8 
			 M180 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 M602 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 M621 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 A1(M) 2 2 2 6 0 0 0 1 4 5 3 17 
			 A194(M) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 
			 A404(M) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Total 65 75 43 62 3 15 11 6 114 137 75 104

Park and Ride Schemes

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to encourage the operation of park and ride schemes.

Rosie Winterton: Park and ride schemes play an important part in helping to tackle congestion in many local areas. They are one of a range of policy tools suggested by the full guidance on the second Local Transport Plans (2006-11), published in December 2004.
	Most schemes are funded through the integrated transport block, which the Department allocates to support local transport plans (LTPs). This totals 576 million for 2008-09.
	During the first LTP period (2001-06), local transport authorities in England (outside of London) spent a total of 72.5 million of LTP funding on improving 92 existing park and ride facilities and delivering 76 new park and ride schemes.

Railways

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger delay minutes for Virgin Trains there were in each quarter since January 2006; and what proportion of these delays were caused by  (a) Virgin Trains and  (b) Network Rail in each quarter.

Tom Harris: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			   Delay minutes caused by Virgin Trains services  Proportion of delay caused by Network Rail (percentage)  Proportion of delay cause by Virgin Trains (percentage) 
			 Q4, 2005-06 131,712 71 16 
			 
			 Q1, 2006-07 125,949 67 19 
			 Q2, 2006-07 151,340 67 20 
			 Q3, 2006-07 205,026 68 16 
			 Q4, 2006-07 158,011 74 14 
			 
			 Q1, 2007-08 144,987 74 14 
			 Q2, 2007-08 160,235 73 16 
			 Q3, 2007-08 269,973 70 14 
			 Q4, 2007-08 183,881 75 12 
			 
			 Q1, 2008-09 166,608 79 9 
			  Note: Remaining percentage is accounted for by delays to Virgin Trains caused by other train operators 
		
	
	'Quarterly' data are reported in four weekly periods. Quarter 3 of each year comprises four four-weekly periods and the other quarters comprise three four-weekly periods.
	A proportion of delays are caused by other train operators rather than Network Rail or the operator of the train affected.

Railways

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger delay minutes for Arriva Trains Wales there were in each quarter since January 2006; and what proportion of these delays were caused by  (a) Arriva Trains Wales and  (b) Network Rail in each quarter.

Tom Harris: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			   Q4  2005-06  Q1  2006-07  Q2  2006-07  Q3  2006-07  Q4  2006-07  Q1  2007-08  Q2  2007-08  Q3  2007-08  Q4  2007-08  Q1  2008-09 
			 Delay minutes caused to Arriva Trains Wales' services 208,447 244,250 277,951 331,242 182,356 143,412 160,811 210,637 139,037 142,437 
			 Proportion of delay minutes caused by Network Rail (%) 36 35 42 42 47 45 48 43 46 48 
			 Proportion of delay minutes caused by Arriva Trains Wales (%) 55 57 51 50 45 47 44 45 44 41 
			  Note: Remaining percentage is accounted for by delays to ATW trains caused by other train operators. 
		
	
	'Quarterly' data are reported in four weekly periods. Quarter 3 of each year comprises four four-weekly periods and the other quarters comprise three four-weekly periods. A proportion of delays are caused by other train operators rather than Network Rail or the operator of the train affected.

Railways

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account her Department takes of the provision of unadvertised rail services to compensate for network repairs or other unforeseen events when evaluating the performance of train operating companies.

Tom Harris: The public performance measure for rail takes account of service alterations made in advance, in order to reflect properly how trains have run compared with the train service plan for any particular day.
	Services are measured against the plan in place for that day, and the evaluation of a train operating company's performance will therefore reflect events where services may be disrupted.

Railways: Electrification

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential for electrification of those main line railway lines served exclusively by diesel locomotives at present.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport is working closely with the rail industry to re-examine the business case for electrification, explore how costs can be reduced and to agree priority schemes. This assessment will include those main line railway lines served exclusively by diesel locomotives at present. The aim is to produce an indicative implementation plan by the end of 2008.

Railways: Rolling Stock

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1068W, on railways: rolling stock, whether her Department previously held or collated this information.

Tom Harris: This information was previously collated on an ad hoc basis for specific requirements. This information can be accessed via the Railway Press, from individual train operating companies or from ATOC which can be contacted at the following address:
	ATOC
	3rd Floor
	40 Bernard Street
	London
	WC1N 1BY

Roads

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government is taking with local authorities to ease traffic congestion in local communities.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement, 'RoadsDelivering Choice and Reliability', made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 16 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 32-34WS.

Roads: Accidents

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatalities there have been in road traffic accidents per hundred thousand passenger miles in each year since 1995.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The fatality rates per billion passenger kilometres by road user type in Great Britain from 1995 to 2006 are given in the table.
	
		
			  Number of fatalities per billion passenger kilometres( 1) 
			   Car  Van  Bus or coach  Motorcycle  Pedestrian  Pedal cycle 
			 1995 2.9 1.2 0.8 109.9 56.7 51.4 
			 1996 3.0 1.0 0.2 108.4 55.9 49.8 
			 1997 2.9 1.0 0.3 119.0 57.5 44.8 
			 1998 2.8 1.0 0.4 112.2 50.1 40.0 
			 1999 2.7 0.9 0.2 112.7 50.0 42.2 
			 2000 2.7 0.9 0.3 122.5 49.0 30.5 
			 2001 2.8 0.9 0.2 112.1 47.5 32.6 
			 2002 2.7 1.0 0.4 111.0 42.0 29.4 
			 2003 2.7 0.9 0.2 114.4 41.3 25.3 
			 2004 2.6 0.8 0.4 105.1 35.3 31.8 
			 2005 2.6 0.6 0.2 97.0 36.2 33.4 
			 2006 2.5 0.6 0.3 107.0 35.5 32.0 
			 (1) Car, van, bus or coach, motorcycle and pedal cycle passenger kilometres are derived from Traffic data. Pedestrian kilometres are derived from National Travel Survey data. 
		
	
	The information is published on the Department's website in table 7.1a and 7.1b in Transport Trends 2007 edition, at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/trends/current/section7safety.xls

Roads: Gloucestershire

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much extra funding has been requested by Gloucestershire County Council under the emergency capital highways maintenance scheme in the last two years;
	(2)  on what date Gloucestershire County Council last applied for extra funding under the emergency capital highways maintenance scheme;
	(3)  when she expects to make a decision on the  (a) eligibility for and  (b) level of any extra support available to Gloucestershire County Council under the emergency capital highways maintenance scheme.

Rosie Winterton: I have today announced 6.5 million of capital highways maintenance funding for Gloucestershire county council to assist with their recovery from last summer's floods. This is in addition to 10.048 million that I announced in March this year, and brings the total funding from my Department to 16.548 million. This sum represents the total amount of funding requested by the county council in their claims of 20 December 2007 and 13 June 2008.

Roads: Safety Measures

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements her Department has made to road safety since 2005.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Road Safety Strategy includes three targets.
	By 2010 we want to achieve, compared to the average for 1994-98:
	a 40 per cent. reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents (KSIs);
	a 50 per cent. reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured; and
	a 10 per cent. reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres.
	The second review of the Government's Road Safety Strategy details the actions taken towards achieving the casualty reduction targets for 2010 and is published on the DFT website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/strategytargetsperformance/
	The latest results on road safety statistics for 2007 have been published on the DFT website. Overall, deaths have fallen by 7 per cent. compared to 2006, to 2,943. Serious injuries were down 3 per cent. KSIs are now 36 per cent. below the 1994-98 average baseline, and child KSIs fell by 6 per cent. and are now 55 per cent. below the baseline.

Roads: Surveying

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  for what reason the CHART visual survey data collected by local highway authorities on principal and classified roads across England for the 2007 national road conditions survey were not collated and published;
	(2)  for what reason the CHART visual surveys on all roads were discontinued; what account was taken of the advice of highways officers on the UK Roads Board road performance management group in making the decision; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what consultations her Department conducted with professional groups and local highway authorities before the decision to discontinue CHART visual surveys on all roads was taken;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the effects of the lack of 2007 visual survey data for principal and classified roads on long-term trend studies into road condition; and if she will make a statement;
	(5)  what methodology will be used to survey the condition of unclassified roads in 2008;
	(6)  what information is available for members of the public to determine whether road conditions, other than for roads under the control of the Highways Agency, are improving or deteriorating.

Rosie Winterton: The Government recognise the need for national data which may be used to monitor whether the condition of roads is improving or deteriorating. But there has been mounting dissatisfaction over a number of years with the quality of CHART visual surveys, which are based on judgments of conditions by engineers, and a programme of work is taking place supported by the Department and the UK Roads Board to develop more sophisticated machine-based surveys.
	The 2006 statistical report on road conditions stated that CHART data would not be collected in 2007 for classified roads. More extensive and detailed data would instead become available from machine scans of the road surface (SCANNER surveys), the same source used by local authorities for reporting best value performance indicators (BVPIs) on classified road condition. This same source will be used for authorities reporting against their local area agreements. The Department has commissioned research to develop appropriate methods for producing national estimates from these complex data, which should be available in 2009. At that point, it will be possible to produce several years' results at once to allow analysis of trends in the condition of classified roads.
	Indicators from the BVPI reporting regime were also included in the statistical report Road Conditions in England 2007. These can be compared with the BVPI results which were reported in previous statistical reports.
	CHART visual surveys for the unclassified network continued until 2007-08, but, following consultation with the LGA and with the UK Roads Board, have not been requested in 2008-09. Most local authorities rely on their own programme of inspection and asset management to determine the condition and maintenance needs of unclassified roads, and there has been a declining response rate to the request for CHART data to support the national survey, with only two-thirds of local authorities responding in 2007-08.
	The Road Conditions in England statistical report published in June 2008 provided members of the public and highway officers with the latest information on road conditions. The next statistical report, intended for publication in 2009, will include several years' data on classified roads. For unclassified roads, DFT will continue to work with the UK Roads Board to determine how best to measure and survey road conditions with an intention of national surveys every three to five years.
	Members of the public interested in the condition of their own authority's roads will have available annual indicators published as part of local area agreements. Many authorities also publish their own local data. We have encouraged authorities to prepare asset management plans for local authority, and have announced that at least 15 million will be available to help them do so in 2009-10.

Roads: Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether her plans for a national road pricing scheme will be limited to roads under the jurisdiction of the Highways Agency;
	(2)  how much her Department has spent on identification and development of the technologies required to implement a national road pricing scheme in the last five years;
	(3)  what her most recent estimate is of the cost of implementing a national road pricing scheme;
	(4)  which consultants and contractors her Department is working with on matters relating to a national road pricing scheme; and which were so engaged by her Department in each of the last five years;
	(5)  whether her Department has identified preferred bidders for implementation of national road pricing trials;
	(6)  how much her Department has allocated for trials of a national road pricing scheme; and how much of this has been spent to date;
	(7)  when she expects work to commence on the installation of equipment required for national road pricing trials.

Rosie Winterton: In the four years since work began on following up the Feasibility Study of Road Pricing in the UK, the Department has spent 9.3 million on technical and professional advice to inform the way that pricing could be used to tackle road congestion; for example in the local charging schemes that are being developed by local authorities.
	Our priority, now and over the next decade, is to tackle congestion, focusing on where it is a problemin towns and cities and on motorways. The Command Paper 'RoadsDelivering Choice and Reliability', published on 16 July, sets out how we intend to do this.
	Our plans for testing technology are set out in the same document. We expect that the Demonstrations Project we are about to commission will lead the way to developing better systems that could support urban schemes, possibly over a wider area than have been developed to date, as well as informing our thinking on managing motorway capacity.

Roads: Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which areas road pricing trials will take place.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement, 'RoadsDelivering Choice and Reliability', made by the Secretary of State for Transport, on 16 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 32-34WS. It will be for the contractors to propose how and where best to demonstrate their capabilities.

Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1194W, on rolling stock, if she will publish the quantitative analysis her Department carried out to determine how many new rail carriages should be provided to tackle capacity problems on the rail network under the High Level Output Specification statement of July 2007.

Tom Harris: holding answer 14 July 2008
	Illustrative train service enhancement options were developed by the Department for Transport to demonstrate that the HLOS capacity requirements can be delivered. This analysis was published on the Department's website in July 2007 to accompany the Rail White Paper. It can be accessed at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/whitepaper cm7176/railwphlsospecimen
	Exact detail of estimated deployment of rolling stock numbers is not given for commercial reasons.

Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the percentage of forecast passenger growth to 2014 which will be carried by the 1,300 new carriages planned to be provided by that date.

Tom Harris: holding answer 14 July 2008
	The 1,300 extra carriages are estimated to be sufficient to carry the forecast growth of an extra 80,700 morning peak passengers in London and English urban areas between 2009 and 2014. They will also meet the majority of the peak growth on the long distance routes.

Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1194W, on rolling stock, what estimates her Department made in preparation of the 2007 Rail White Paper, of the proportion of the 1,300 extra carriages announced in the White Paper that would be  (a) Pendolinos for the West Coast Main Line and  (b) Thameslink Programme carriages.

Tom Harris: holding answer 14 July 2008
	Of the 1,300 carriages, 106 are estimated to be Pendolinos for the West Coast Main Line. The extent to which the Thameslink carriages overlap with the 1,300 cannot yet be accurately estimated since it depends on a number of factors including the outcome of the High Level Output Specification agreed with the Train Operating Companies.

Schools: Speed Limits

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has conducted research into the likely effect on the number of children and parents choosing to walk or cycle to school of the speed limit around their schools and homes being reduced to 20 miles per hour.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has not carried out specific research on the impact that 20 mph zones would have on increasing walking and cycling. However, the hon. Member may be interested in our Links to Schools programme, which provides walking and cycling routes from residential areas to schools via the National Cycle Network. Our monitoring of these links shows twice as much cycling to school and 8 per cent. more walking to school. We have already spent over 18 million on this programme since 2005 linking up over 600 schools and plan to extend it to a further 500 schools by 2011.
	The Department has commissioned a new research project on local road safety policy and practice, and information about the implementation of 20 mph zones will be collected from local authorities as part of this study.
	This new project, titled Local road safety evaluation and action learning was commissioned in February 2008 and will take three years, with an interim report due in March 2009. The research is likely to include a survey of local authorities, which will cover 20 mph zones and other local road safety issues.

Schools: Speed Limits

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of implementing 20 mph zones in the vicinity of  (a) nurseries and  (b) schools.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There has been no assessment of the effectiveness of 20 mph zones specifically in the vicinity of nurseries and schools. However, the Transport Research Laboratory conducted two reviews of 20 mph zones in 1996 and again in 1998.
	The 1996 review found that 20 mph zones which incorporated traffic calming measures achieved an average 9 mph reduction in vehicle speeds, annual accident frequency fell by 60 per cent. and overall reduction in child accidents of 67 per cent.
	The 1998 review looked at wider issues in terms of vehicle speeds and included 20 mph zones and 20 mph limits where there was lesser or no traffic calming. This found reductions in vehicle speeds were minimal without traffic calming.
	The Department has however recently commissioned a new research project on local road safety policy and practice, and information about the implementation of 20 mph zones will be collected from local authorities as part of this study.

Stansted Airport

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely effect of conditions in the economy on proposals to build a second runway at Stansted Airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The most recent assessment of the economic case for the additional capacity at Stansted airport supported in the Future of Air Transport White Paper was reported in UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts, available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/ukair demandandco2forecasts/
	We expect to provide an update to this report, taking account of revised economic projections, when we announce policy decisions on the future development of Heathrow airport later this year.

Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to make a decision on whether to introduce national road pricing.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her today (UIN 209464).

Transport: Greater London

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she next expects to meet the Mayor of London to discuss transport in London.

Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State met with the Mayor of London recently and expects to continue the programme of regular meetings established with his predecessor.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

10 Downing Street: Cost Effectiveness

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what requirements there are on 10 Downing Street to make Gershon efficiency savings.

Tom Watson: The Prime Minister's Office forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office. The original requirements for Departments were set out in Sir Peter Gershon's Releasing resources for the frontline: Independent Review of Public Sector Efficiency, published by HM Treasury as part of SR2004. The review, including the original Cabinet Office requirement, can be found on the HM Treasury website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spending_review/spend_sr04/associated_documents/spending_sr04_efficiency.cfm
	Copies are available in the Library of the House.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Codes of Practice

David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance he issues to special advisers on compliance with the provisions of the Civil Service Code in respect of online participation.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Mr. Anderson) on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 929.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: Food Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the World Food Programme's programme of food aid to Africa has cost in each of the last 10 years; and what his Department's contribution to the programme was in each year.

Gillian Merron: The following table shows how much the UN World Food Programme's (WFP) food aid programmes in sub-Saharan Africa cost over the last 10 years and the Department for International Development's (DFID) direct bilateral contributions in each year.
	
		
			  Million USD 
			   Expenditure  DFID contributions 
			 1997 501.7 n/a 
			 1998 646.9 n/a 
			 1999 633.0 n/a 
			 2000 637.5 3.8 
			 2001 885.6 6.6 
			 2002 899.4 71.4 
			 2003 1,514.0 64.6 
			 2004 1,381.7 76.7 
			 2005 2,042.9 67.1 
			 2006 1,761.9 92.7 
			 2007 1,831.6 48.8 
			 Total 12,736.3  
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	The DFID contributions shown do not take account of significant UK funding to WFP through the following multilateral channels:
	 The European Commission
	The EC is a very significant donor to WFP, contributing USD 250 million to WFP's global operations in 2007 alone. Approximately, 18 per cent. of EC funds come from the UK.
	 The UN C entral Emergency Response Fund
	The UK is the largest donor to the CERF, which allows the UN to allocate resources to under-funded and rapid onset emergencies. DFID has provided over 100 million to the CERF since its establishment in 2006. WFP have received some USD 328 million of funding from the CERF for their global operations over this time.
	 Pooled funds
	All of DFID's humanitarian funding to WFP in Sudan and DRC is now channelled through pooled funds, which are managed by the UN. DFID has provided 129 million in Sudan and 90 million in DRC through the pooled funds since their creation in 2006. WFP has received USD 54 million and USD 16 million respectively from these funds. This change in funding channels in the two largest humanitarian operations partly accounts for the apparent downturn in DFID's bilateral support to WFP operations in Africa from 2006 to 2007 in the aforementioned table.

Departmental Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on research in each of the last 10 years.

Shahid Malik: The proportion of Department for International Development (DFID) Programme expenditure used for research in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1: Proportion of DFID programme expenditure used for research since 2002-03 
			   Programme expenditure (Percentage) 
			 1998-99 2.39 
			 1999-2000 2.77 
			 2000-01 2.58 
			 2001-02 3.17 
			 2002-03 3.08 
			 2003-04 2.58 
			 2004-05 2.46 
			 2005-06 2.37 
			 2006-07 2.40 
			 2007-08 2.61

Developing Countries: Land

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of those regions which will be worst affected by land degradation between 2008 and 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not undertake its own assessment of regions that will be worst affected by land degradation. However, we work closely with organisations, funded by DFID, that have expert capacity in this area (such as the International Institute for Environment and Development). We also draw on recent international assessments; for example, the Food and Agricultural Organisation's Global Assessment of Land Degradation and Improvement (GLADA) that was released on 2 July. Based on quantitative analysis, and use of satellite imagery, this identifies southern Africa, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia and south China as areas particularly affected by degradation. 1.5 billion people depend on degrading areas for their livelihoods. The 2007 United Nations Environment Programme's Global Environmental Outlook 4 (GEO-4) included an assessment of land degradation and concluded that demands on land resources and risks to sustainability are likely to intensify.
	Better land management can prevent and reverse degradation leading to improved agricultural production and availability of other resources such as forest products. The recent GLADA provides positive examples of land improvement such as land reclamation in north China. DFID has worked with the World Bank in its projects to better manage land and reduce poverty in the degraded and remote Loess Plateau region of north China. The World Bank funded improved land use and erosion control, boosting incomes for farmers, with DFID assistance focused on improved benefits for the poorest.

Overseas Aid

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what models his Department uses to project the effects of  (a) food shortages,  (b) fuel price increases,  (c) climate change and  (d) water distribution issues in developing countries; and what contribution such modelling makes to the process of policy formulation in his Department.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) relies on estimates made by credible and expert international development organisations and research institutions. In particular:
	 (a) On food shortages, the World Food Programme, International Food Policy Research Institute and the Food and Agriculture Organisation's Integrated Phase Classification (a predictive food security tool).
	 (b) On fuel prices the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Their models consider supply and demand expectations as well as other relevant factors such as geopolitics, policies of national governments and technical and geological factors. We also make use of robust models employed by the World Bank and the IMF to understand the impact of the fuel price increases on developing countries.
	 (c) On climate change, the Hadley Centre's Providing Regional Climates for Impacts Studies (PRECIS), the Global Carbon Finance Model (GLOCAF), an economic model developed by the UK Office of Climate Change (OCC), and the impact assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
	 (d) On water we use the UN's data for monitoring progress towards the MDGs, including financial models which estimate the cost of achieving the MDGs. For water resources we use the United Nations World Water Development Report, which uses a number of hydrological and water resources models to assess supply and demand.
	DFID development policies and assistance are formulated mainly at country level. Information from models feeds directly into our development policies, for example we use climate models to propose actions to reduce climate related risks to partner countries and DFID programmes, to estimate the costs to developing countries of moving to a low carbon global economy and inform the UK position at the climate negotiations.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports he has received on the situation of British aid workers in Somalia; and whether all British aid workers known to be working in Somalia are accounted for.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government work in close liaison with the Somalia non-governmental organisation (NGO) consortium who maintain a register of all international aid workers present in Somalia. They also circulate frequent security reports which highlight any incidents involving international aid workers.
	One UN-contracted British aid worker was kidnapped on 1 April 2008. The UK Government are working with United Nations (UN) authorities to secure his release. Otherwise all British aid workers are accounted for under the auspices of the Somalia NGO consortium and UN agencies. The UK Government have no resident presence on the ground and any staff visits are subject to rigorous security clearance.

Zimbabwe: Sanitary Protection

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to help women in Zimbabwe access sanitary protection.

Gillian Merron: The problem of sanitary provision in Zimbabwe is part of the wider political and economic crisis which has led to an acute shortage of basic and essential goods.
	The Department for International Development's (DFID) current programme of assistance aims to protect the livelihoods of more than 1.5 million poor people in Zimbabwe, tackle HIV/AIDS, and help meet humanitarian needs. Although there is no specific allocation, some of our NGO partners are providing sanitary products to girls and young women as part of a 22 million programme of support to orphans and vulnerable children. Our 5 million programme with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to support internally displaced people and deportees is also providing sanitary wear in non-food emergency packs. To date 2,092 female victims of the recent wave of political violence have received sanitary wear from IOM.

TREASURY

Double Taxation

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many reports he received under the terms of each double taxation agreement with a non-EU tax jurisdiction in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs does not release statistics on the number of exchanges of information with individual countries and territories, as release of this information may be detrimental to tax enforcement and the operation of the relevant arrangements under which the information is exchanged.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce levels of fuel tax.

Alistair Darling: I am postponing the 2p per litre increase in fuel duty that was planned to take place on 1 October 2008 to support motorists and businesses in the face of sharp rises in world oil prices.
	This means that main road fuel duty rates will remain at 50.35p per litre after 1 October this year. The duty is 17 per cent. lower in real terms than in 1999.
	Consequential increases in road fuel gases, biofuel duty rates and rebated oils rates will also be postponed.
	Postponing the planned increase in fuel duty is consistent with the Government's commitment to support the Bank of England in maintaining low inflation.

Investment Income Surcharge

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the income to the Exchequer in 2007-08 had an investment income surcharge of the form in existence until 1983 been in place.

Jane Kennedy: Applying a surcharge of 15 per cent. to individuals' investment income above an exemption limit of 19,000 would yield around 4.9 billion in respect of the 2007-08 tax year, although most of this income would not be received until the following year.

Minimum Wage

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the minimum wage on  (a) child poverty,  (b) pensioner poverty and  (c) poverty in working age households without children in each year from 1997 to 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Since its introduction in 1999 the national minimum wage has increased by 59 per cent. It has helped to narrow the regional pay gap and had a positive effect on the earnings gap of disadvantaged groups such as workers with disabilities, women (around two thirds of the workers who stand to benefit from the October 2008 rise are women) and certain ethnic minorities. Through the introduction of tax credits and the NMW, this Government provided a minimum income guarantee for the first time. In October 2008 this will guarantee that every family with one child and one person working 35 hours a week will receive a minimum income of 295 per week. For the similar families without children, this figure is 225.

National Insurance Contributions: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the flyer that employers were asked to pass to married women with their pay slips in the 1970s with an election to pay the reduced rate of national insurance, to inform them about the phasing out of the reduced rate contribution.

Jane Kennedy: Copies of all the extant documentation relating to this matter were placed in the House of Commons Library in 200320 January 2003,  Official Report, column 86W.

PAYE

Nick Ainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many PAYE records have not been clerically reviewed for  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06.

Jane Kennedy: At 27 June 2008 the number of PAYE records that have not yet had any clerical review was.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003-04 361,548 
			 2004-05 1,889,148 
			 2005-06 2,514,023

Revenue and Customs: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on costs of increased travel allowances for staff relocated from HM Revenue and Customs' Brecon office to an alternative tax office.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 8 July 2008
	Financial considerations are examined in detail in the feasibility phase of reviews, and maximum costs of extra travel for staff are published in the impact assessments produced by HMRC once closure decisions have been announced for particular buildings. These can be found on the HMRC website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/local/change-programme.htm.

Revenue and Customs: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of closures of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices in Wales, including the impact of additional travel by HMRC staff.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is committed to reducing its environmental footprint. Although closure of offices may mean additional travelling time for some people, by reducing the number of offices HMRC occupies and using the remaining office space more efficiently, it will reduce its heating, lighting and IT equipment emissions, and so reduce its carbon footprint.

Revenue and Customs: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what visits have been made by the workforce change team to each HM Revenue and Customs office in Wales which is proposed for closure; and what the date of each visit was.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is currently consulting with staff, trade unions and other key stakeholders on the proposals for those offices in cluster and individual locations in Wales. Before HMRC put recommendations to me for decision, extensive feasibility work is completed which includes visits to sites where appropriate. To date visits have been made by HMRC officials to all offices in Cardiff and Swansea urban centres where the decisions have already been announced. Visits have also been made to the cluster and individual offices in the east and south west of Wales including offices along the west coast of Wales and visits are planned for the remaining offices in mid and north Wales. Details of the specific dates when these visits took place could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Revenue and Customs: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff employed by HM Revenue and Customs in the debt management field force in Wales are fluent in the Welsh language.

Jane Kennedy: The Debt Management and Banking (DMB) field force in Wales currently have two staff members who are fluent in Welsh. There are also approximately 15 office based staff within Debt Management and Banking who provide support to Welsh speakers. DMB plan to provide the same level of service to Welsh speakers in future as it currently does and is working with other parts of HMRC to ensure this happens.

Revenue and Customs: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings it is estimated will be made from the proposed closure of each HM Revenue and Customs office scheduled for closure in Wales.

Jane Kennedy: The estimated estate savings for offices in the Cardiff and Swansea urban centres which HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to vacate are shown in the following table and were published in impact assessments on the HMRC website:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk
	on 29 February 2008. Final decisions on the future of other HMRC offices in Wales, will not be made until the findings of the consultation exercise and detailed feasibility work has been completed.
	
		
			   Potential estate savings from vacation () 
			  Cardiff urban centre  
			 Portcullis House, Cardiff 657,000 
			 Crown Buildings, Newport 470,000 
			 Taff Vale House, Pontypridd 154,000 
			   
			  Swansea urban centre  
			 Crown Buildings, Llanelli 138,000 
			 Custom House, Swansea 41,000 
			 Total 1,460,000

Revenue and Customs: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the assessment he has made of the effect on local economies of closure of HM Revenue and Customs offices in Wales.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) specifically comments on socio-economic issues in its impact assessments which are completed for every building where a decision has been made to vacate. Decisions have been announced on the Cardiff and Swansea urban centres and those impact assessments are available on HMRC's internet site:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk

Revenue and Customs: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual estate cost is of  (a) Swinson House, York,  (b) Hilary House, York,  (c) Cherry Court, Hull and  (d) Custom House, Hull; and until what dates the Government have contractual obligations to rent or lease each building.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is unable to disclose the annual estate costs for the buildings listed for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
	All four of the buildings were included in the Strategic Transfer of the Estate to the Private Sector (STEPS) outsourcing deal with Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited in April 2001. HMRC now occupies each building under the terms of the STEPS contract. The contract expires on 1 April 2021 but HMRC will be able to continue to occupy beyond this date and also has flexibility within the contract to vacate properties prior to the expiry date.

Revenue and Customs: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff Hilary House, York can accommodate; whether the Government intend to retain this building until 2011; whether they are considering sub-leasing any part of the building before 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: York was included in the announcement of 11 June 2008 of the next stage of HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) review as part of its change programme.
	HMRC's planning assumption for Hilary House shows approximately 200 workstations. However, staff occupancy figures will vary depending on the operational requirements of the specific HMRC business units to be accommodated in the property.
	HMRC has proposed the retention of Hilary House under the change programme and once the current stage of the review process concludes HMRC will be able to determine the final requirements for this building and will consider at that time any options for disposal of space that is identified as surplus to requirements.

Revenue and Customs: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people used the HM Revenue and Customs enquiry centre at Swinson House in York in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  HMRC Enquiry Centre in Swinson House, York , c ustomers 2005-08 
			   Number of customers 
			 2005-06 17,895 
			 2006-07 20,284 
			 2007-08 15,364

Revenue and Customs: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government will retain in York an HM Revenue and Customs inquiry centre, open to the public from 8.30am until 5.00pm Monday to Friday providing the current range of services, until 2011 at least; and what estimate he has made of the annual estate cost of doing so would be.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC will retain an inquiry centre in York. They review their opening hours regularly to ensure that they match customer demand and there are no plans to reduce the full time service they offer in York.
	As the accommodation review is ongoing, the final decision for the relocation of the inquiry centre has yet to be determined. This will impact on annual estate costs. An estimate of potential costs, however, taken from two inquiry centres recently set up by HMRC is for annual estate costs of approximately 52,500. The annual estate cost comprises rent, landlord service charge, rates and utilities.

Stamp Duties: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Exchequer received in stamp duty from Scotland in each year since 2002.

Kitty Ussher: Estimates of the amount of stamp duty land tax received in Scotland in 2005-06 and 2006-07 are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/stamp_duty/table15-4-0506.xls
	and
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/stamp_duty/table15-4-0607.xls
	respectively.
	Reliable estimates for Scotland for stamp duty land tax received are not available for earlier years.
	A table showing estimates of stamp duty land tax for 2007-08 for the local authorities, counties and countries of the United Kingdom will be published in September.
	No information is available for stamp taxes on shares receipts below the UK level.

Tax Avoidance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will direct HM Revenue and Customs to seek information from the US Internal Revenue Service on the sale of illegal tax shelters; and what information he has received on the availability in the UK of the VIPER products marketed by Ernst and Young.

Jane Kennedy: Under the terms of the bilateral double taxation convention between the United Kingdom and the United States, the tax authorities of the two states have regular discussions about tax avoidance schemes, exchanging any information that is necessary for the assessment, collection and enforcement of the taxes covered by the convention.

Trusts

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment  (a) he and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs have made of the implications for the Exchequer of new forms of trust created by the states of Jersey and other tax jurisdictions since 2005; and what representations the Government have made in response.

Jane Kennedy: The question of whether the income and gains of a trust are liable to United Kingdom taxes depends on a number of factors such as whether the trustees are treated as being resident in the United Kingdom for tax purposes, what connection the settler has to the trust, and what the beneficiaries of the trust are entitled to under the terms of the trust. The particular structures provided for by non UK law do not determine residence or chargeability to UK tax and HMRC has not carried out detailed analysis of these particular types of trust.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Citizens' Advice Bureaux: Finance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional  (a) funding and  (b) other support his Department plans to provide to Citizens Advice Bureaux in anticipation of the introduction of the employment and support allowance.

Stephen Timms: Employment and support allowance (ESA) will be introduced on the 27 October 2008 and the ESA programme is working with a range of customer representative groups including Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB). Through this forum the ESA programme is committed to assist Citizens Advice Bureaux in introducing ESA into their organisation including the sharing of products to support implementation activity. The programme is working on areas highlighted through this group as areas of particular interest. This level of engagement will increase as we approach 27 October. The ESA programme Director, Phil Bartlett has met with senior CAB colleagues, to agree how we can work together to ensure the delivery of ESA is a success. This does not include any additional funding for the Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Crisis Loans

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people were subject to a county court claim by his Department for defaulting on repayments of a  (a) crisis loan and  (b) budget loan in each year since 2003, broken down by the (i) on benefit caseload and (ii) off benefit caseload; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people have been subject to a county court judgment as a result of a county court claim by his Department for defaulting on repayments of a  (a) crisis loan and  (b) budgeting loan in each year since 2003, broken down by (i) on-benefit caseload and (ii) off-benefit caseload; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many people have had items repossessed for defaulting on repayments of  (a) a crisis loan and  (b) a budgeting loan in each year since 2003, broken down by (i) on-benefit caseload and (ii) off-benefit caseload; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  in how many cases his Department has taken action against people who have defaulted on repayments of  (a) a crisis loan and  (b) a budgeting loan in each year since 2003, broken down by (i) on-benefit caseload and (ii) off-benefit caseload; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: Where a person is in receipt of benefit, recovery is by means of deductions from benefit only.
	Court action is only taken against those no longer on the benefit caseload. Such action is taken only should a voluntary arrangement not be possible, or if there is a default on that arrangement. The Department does not seek repossession of items in default cases.
	The number of people subject to a county court claim by the Department for Work and Pensions for defaulting on Social Fund repayments is set out in the following table. The information cannot be separated between budgeting loans and crisis loans. No action has been taken to enforce recovery of outstanding loans through the courts since 2005-06.
	
		
			   Number of court claims and judgements in Social Fund cases 
			 2003-04 6,009 
			 2004-05 3,792 
			 2005-06 1,076 
		
	
	As part of the Department's programme to bring increased focus to the management and recovery of debt generally, the decision was made to transfer, from 2005, the management and recovery of Social Fund off-benefit cases to the Department's specialist Debt Management unit. Referring the outstanding Social Fund loans to Debt Management has enabled the use of their specialist skills in pursuing recovery from customers who are no longer in receipt of benefit.
	This transfer of cases to Debt Management is ongoing, and has already resulted in significant recoveries on loans from those no longer in receipt of benefit, without a need to refer for court enforcement.

Crisis Loans

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of crisis loan applications were alignment payments in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Crisis loan applications for Great Britain 
			   Estimated applications for alignment payments processed  Estimated proportion of applications processed which were for alignment payments 
			 2003-04 582,000 42 
			 2004-05 586,000 44 
			 2005-06 588,000 43 
			 2006-07 603,000 42 
			 2007-08 905,000 43 
			  Notes: Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.  Source: The DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System (PBMIS) does not hold data on crisis loan applications by the reason for the application. However, the proportion of applications processed which were for alignment payments can be estimated from scans of crisis loan applications. Each such scan consists of applications processed in the relevant financial year and held on the Social Fund Computer System at the end of that year. (Each scan records the latest decision on each application; this may be an initial decision or a review decision.) These estimated proportions have then been applied to the numbers of applications processed obtained from PBMIS.

Crisis Loans

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of  (a) crisis loans and  (b) budgeting loans were being repaid at (i) 12 per cent., (ii) 10 per cent. and (iii) five per cent. in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available for budgeting loans before 2006-07; or for crisis loans. The available information is given in the tables.
	
		
			  Budgeting loans for Great Britain for 2006-07 
			  Repayment rate (%)  Number of initial awards  Proportion of all initial awards (%) 
			 12 434,000 33.4 
			 10 297,000 22.9 
			 5 324,000 25.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Budgeting Loans for Great Britain for 2007-08 
			  Repayment rate (%)  Number of initial awards  Proportion of all initial awards (%) 
			 12 401,000 34.3 
			 10 277,000 23.7 
			 5 298,000 25.5 
			  Notes: 1.Figures are based on (initial) awards made in each year, not on awards being repaid in each year. 2. Figures are for initial awards only. Awards made after review are not included. 3. The current standard repayment rates are 12 per cent, 10 per cent and five percent. These rates were introduced for applications received on or after 3rd April 2006. Some awards made in the early part of 2006-07 were for applications received before 3 April 2006, to which the previous standard repayment rates of 15 per cent. 10 per cent. and five per cent. applied. 4. When a standard repayment rate is used, the weekly repayment amount for a budgeting loan is calculated by multiplying the repayment rate by the weekly available income, then rounding to the nearest penny. For each award, the scan does not give the repayment rate, but only the weekly repayment amount and the weekly available income. The repayment rate calculated from these two quantities may differ slightly from the true repayment rate, because of the rounding of the repayment amount. To allow for this, the stated number of awards with a repayment rate of 12 per cent is actually the number with a calculated repayment rate of 12 per cent ± 0.05 per cent. Similarly, for the other standard repayment rates, 10 per cent ± 0.05 per cent and five per cent ± 0.05 per cent have been used. 5. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 1,000. 6. Proportions have been calculated using non-rounded numbers. Source:  Analysis of scans of the Social Fund Computer System (SFCS) taken at the end of each month, showing Budgeting Loan initial awards recorded on SFCS during the month.

Departmental Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of computer devices left on overnight in his Department when not in use and  (b) the cost of leaving computer devices on overnight when not in use in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Statistics on the numbers of instances (and therefore any total related costs) are not available, and to obtain them would be at disproportionate cost. The Department for Work and Pensions recognises that PCs being left on overnight waste energy and as a result, instructs and regularly reminds staff to turn off PCs at the close of their working day.

Departmental ICT

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff have access to his Department's IT infrastructure at their home.

Anne McGuire: The information on the number of people authorised to work from home within the Department for Work and Pensions is not collated centrally. It is controlled and managed locally and the collation of such information would involve disproportionate cost.
	In addition to those who work at home normally, the Department for Work and Pensions currently has 7,536 members of staff who have been supplied with an approved laptop computer that is able to provide secure access to the Department's IT infrastructure, for example to e-mail, from their home.
	All remote access is provided via a secure electronic gateway that is provided by BT.
	In addition to the secure electronic gateway, all of the Department's laptop computers have encrypted internal hard drives and access to any computer services provided by the Department's IT infrastructure, such as e-mail, requires the use of a personal access card that utilises Chip and Pin technology.

Departmental Information Communications Technology

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to his Department's proposals to replace progressively its IT contracts by 2015, if he will list  (a) the contracts in place,  (b) the value of each contract and  (c) the expected date of termination of each contract when entered into; whether any costs are expected to arise from early termination of contracts; and what assessment he has made of the value for money offered by each contract.

Anne McGuire: The IT contracts that the Department is progressively replacing are:
	Standard Services Business Allocation (SSBA);
	Integrated Communications Network Services Business Allocation (ICONS) contract; and
	the Unity Framework Agreement.
	 Value of each contract:
	SSBA expected spend will be 2.9 billion;
	ICONS expected spend will be 0.9 billion; and
	The Unity Framework Agreement allows for service orders to be let within it; the value of those awarded to date is 65.5 million.
	 The expiry of each of these agreements is as follows:
	SSBA expires in August 2010, but can be extended to February 2015.
	ICONS expires in March 2011, but can be extended to February 2015.
	The Unity Framework agreement expires in February 2009, however contracts placed within that term may have an expiry beyond February 2009. The only contract that currently falls into that category is in respect of the Employment and Support Allowance, whose expiry is June 2011.
	The Department has no plans to terminate any of these contracting arrangements earlier than the contracted expiry date. Should it become necessary, the SSBA, ICONS and Unity contracting arrangements have the appropriate provisions for early termination.
	 Value for Money:
	The SSBA and ICONS contracts prior to their agreement were benchmarked by external specialists; the resultant contracts have delivered substantial savings on IT costs and have also provided improved service levels for the Department.
	 The Unity Framework Agreement :
	Which was itself the outcome of an open competitioncomprises multiple suppliers in differing categories; requirements being sourced through Unity are competed through the relevant category, thus driving out value for money for the Department.
	Additionally, the SSBA, ICONS and Unity arrangements have 'Benchmarking' clauses that can be utilised at certain times to test their value for money relative to the market.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many permanent staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies are classed as (i) staff without posts and (ii) part of a people action team.

Anne McGuire: As at 31 May 2008 there were 368 permanent members of staff in the Department for Work and Pensions who were without a permanent post. The following table shows the number of staff in each business area of the Department.
	
		
			  Business area  Staff without a permanent post 
			 Jobcentre Plus 273 
			 Pensions, disability and carer services 41 
			 Child Support Agency 5 
			 Rest of the Department 49 
		
	
	Staff without permanent posts are actively engaged in delivering a range of departmental projects and duties while seeking a new permanent position. They are given priority for posts in this Department and other Government Departments.
	This Department does not have any people action teams.

Departmental Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in each of the last 10 years.

Anne McGuire: Records of expenses are available from 1 April 2002 and are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Period of the claim  Amount claimed () 
			 1 April 2008 to 30 June 2008 0 
			 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 215.21 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 2,024.18 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 435.50 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 0 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 64 
			 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 121.65 
			 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 (1) 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001 (1) 
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 (1) 
			 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 (1) 
			 (1) No records available 
		
	
	These figures represent expenses that have been incurred and claimed individually in respect of the special advisers concerned, as part of their role in supporting Ministers on official business.
	Procedures for reimbursing staff expenses are set out in departmental guidance and are in line with the provisions set out in the civil service management code. The code can be viewed at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/iam/codes/csmc/index.asp.

Departmental Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of his Department's budget and that of its predecessor Department was spent on research in each of the last 10 years.

Anne McGuire: The Department's expenditure on social research for the last seven financial years is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Research expenditure ( million)  Research expenditure as percentage of DEL 
			 2001-02 11.8 0.24 
			 2002-03 10.2 0.17 
			 2003-04 12.5 0.21 
			 2004-05 14.2 0.24 
			 2005-06 16.9 0.29 
			 2006-07 15.2 0.26 
			 2007-08(1) 15.0 0.26 
			 (1) estimated outturn for DEL 
		
	
	The figures on DWP research spend are supplied to the Office for National Statistics on an annual basis. The figures for Department of Work and Pensions DEL spend are taken from table 5 of the annual departmental report. DWP was only established in 2001 and so it is not possible to go back 10 years.

Departmental Telephone Services

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many enquiries his Department received through its 0800 and 0845 numbers in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: Inquiries to the Department of Work and Pensions through 0800 and 0845 numbers for the last three years are:
	
		
			  DWP contact centres 
			   Total inquiries( 1)  to DWP contact centres during normal opening hours 
			   Year (April to March) 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 0800 2,994,064 1,944,284 1,550,576 
			 0845 21,322,774 22,064,546 22,519,633 
			 (0800 and 0845)(1) 18,950,827 19,920,108 18,905,753 
			 Total 43,267,665 43,928,938 42,975,962 
			 (1) Inquiries, is defined as total calls offered to DWP contact centres during their normal hours of opening. Information is not available in all cases to distinguish between those calls received to 0800 numbers and those to 0845 numbers.

Departmental Wastes

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years.

Anne McGuire: The following table shows the total waste produced, the amount of waste recycled and the amount sent to energy recovery facilities/landfill for the past two years for the Department for Work and Pensions, as reported against the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) waste target. Information for the baseline year (2004-05) has also been included to facilitate comparisons.
	
		
			  ( 1) 2004-05  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Total waste produced (metric tonnes) 30,411 22,365 20,343 
			 Recycling (metric tonnes) 15,643 14,881 12,952 
			 Recycling as percentage of total waste produced 51.4 66.5 63.7 
			 Waste sent to energy recovery facilities and landfill as percentage of total waste produced 48.6 33.5 36.3 
			 (1 )Baseline year. 
		
	
	Total waste arisings have fallen by over 33 per cent. since the baseline year. The Department aims to be an exemplar of sustainable procurement, and we actively encourage good demand management, to procure only the goods (or services) that we need to support the delivery of our business.
	We are also committed to working with our suppliers to identify opportunities to reduce the amount of waste that is producedfor example by reducing packaging where feasible. Where delivery of contracts take place on the DWP estate there is a requirement for all our suppliers to help meet the SOGE targets, including those for waste.
	Our rate of recycling has grown and remains well in excess of the 2010 target to recycle 40 per cent. of total waste. This has been mainly due to the implementation of the Total Paper Recycling Scheme across the estate over the last five years by Land Securities Trillium and their service partners. We also operate an intranet based Swap Shop which enables staff across DWP to redistribute surplus goods, which might otherwise have been sent to landfill. During 2008, 500 lots were found new homes.
	A pilot is under way across the Yorkshire and Humber region to further enhance our recycling performance by introducing a new initiative Recycle ItDWP This will provide additional paper and cardboard recycling facilities, as well as providing opportunities to recycle other waste such as glass, cans and some plastic. If successful, it will be extended across the entire estate wherever viable.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many home information packs have been commissioned by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to market a residential property; for which properties; at what cost; and whether a voluntary home condition report was purchased as part of the packs.

Anne McGuire: None. The requirement to prepare Home Information Packs applies to the marketing for sale of residential properties. This Department has not been involved in any such transactions since 1 August 2007.

Incapacity Benefit: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the working age population of Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency receive incapacity benefit.

Anne McGuire: At November 2007, 4.7 per cent. of the working age population of the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency were in receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance.
	 Source
	DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS and ONS experimental small area population estimates (2005)

Incapacity Benefit: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of children who were aged  (a) under five,  (b) five to 11 and  (c) 12 to 16 years living in households in receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance in each London local authority area in each of the last 10 years.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available for households in the format requested. The available information, which is for those claiming Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance, has been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households were in receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance in each parliamentary constituency in London in each of the last 10 years.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available for households in the format requested. The available information, which is for those claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, has been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit: Hyndburn

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the working population of Hyndburn constituency received incapacity benefit in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: At November 2007, 10.9 per cent. of the working age population of the Hyndburn parliamentary constituency were in receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance.
	 Source
	DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS and ONS experimental small area population estimates (2005)

Incapacity Benefit: Medical Examinations

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place for the medical assessment of persons in receipt of incapacity benefit; which companies are used to carry out such assessments; what the terms of reference for such assessments are; and how their fees are calculated.

Anne McGuire: The arrangements in place for the medical assessment of persons in receipt of incapacity benefits are for a health care professional to provide an independent, impartial opinion on the medical aspects of the claim. The evidence they provide forms just one part of the evidence that the Department for Work and Pensions decision maker uses to decide entitlement. The company used to carry out these medical assessments is Atos Healthcare, a division of Atos Origin IT Services Ltd.
	The terms of reference for medical assessments are included in the Medical Services contract. A copy of the contract, excluding those paragraphs which are considered commercially sensitive, is available in the Library.
	The health care professionals who conduct the medical assessments are employed by Atos Healthcare. The remuneration received by Atos Healthcare employees is a matter between Atos Healthcare and its employees.

Incapacity Benefit: Medical Examinations

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many persons in receipt of incapacity benefit were required to attend a medical assessment in the last year for which figures are available; and what the cost of such assessments was.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested. In the year April 2007 to March 2008, 535,077 medical assessments were completed for incapacity benefits customers.
	The individual unit price for such assessments is held commercial in confidence.

Incapacity Benefit: North East

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of children aged  (a) under five,  (b) between five and 11 and  (c) between 12 and 16 years living in households in receipt of incapacity benefit in each local authority area in the North East.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available for households in the format requested. The available information, which is for those claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of children aged 0-15 dependent on a parent or guardian claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance by north east local authorityApril 2007 
			   Aged 0-4  Aged 5-11  Aged 12-16 
			 Alnwick 65 85 75 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 40 65 75 
			 Blyth Valley 250 480 460 
			 Castle Morpeth 60 120 145 
			 Chester-le-Street 165 280 300 
			 Darlington 290 470 440 
			 Derwentside 300 550 560 
			 Durham 220 375 370 
			 Easington 700 1,300 1,200 
			 Gateshead 665 1,160 1,025 
			 Hartlepool 420 775 765 
			 Middlesbrough 575 945 970 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 855 1,585 1,480 
			 North Tyneside 470 865 875 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 510 880 815 
			 Sedgefield 395 665 630 
			 South Tyneside 420 790 860 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 500 845 890 
			 Sunderland 985 1,885 1,955 
			 Teesdale 35 90 65 
			 Tynedale 50 125 140 
			 Wansbeck 205 405 370 
			 Wear Valley 255 460 425 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five. 2. All data represent a snapshot in time of claimants on the computer system, and will therefore exclude a very small number of cases that are held clerically. 3. Data represent children who are dependent on a parent/guardian claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance. 4. The Department does not have complete information on child dependents on the benefit computer systems, therefore children have been merged onto incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claims from child benefit records with permission from HMRC.  Source: DWP Information Directorate

Incapacity Benefit: North East

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households were in receipt of incapacity benefit in each parliamentary constituency in the North East in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available for households in the format requested. The available information, which is for those claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in parliamentary constituencies in the North East; as at November 2007 
			   Number 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 2,920 
			 Bishop Auckland 6,170 
			 Blaydon 4,140 
			 Blyth Valley 4,770 
			 City of Durham 4,500 
			 Darlington 4,970 
			 Easington 8,570 
			 Gateshead East and Washington West 5,270 
			 Hartlepool 7,190 
			 Hexham 2,320 
			 Houghton and Washington East 6,430 
			 Jarrow 5,050 
			 Middlesbrough 7,250 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 5,470 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Central 4,650 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend 5,780 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne North 4,790 
			 North Durham 5,770 
			 North Tyneside 5,300 
			 North West Durham 5,480 
			 Redcar 5,910 
			 Sedgefield 6,080 
			 South Shields 5,610 
			 Stockton North 5,610 
			 Stockton South 4,270 
			 Sunderland North 6,120 
			 Sunderland South 6,300 
			 Tyne Bridge 7,100 
			 Tynemouth 3,800 
			 Wansbeck 4,960 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Numbers of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants by parliamentary constituency at November 2007 are published on the NOMIS website at: www.nomisweb.co.uk.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS

Income Support: Disabled

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 890-1W, on income support: disabled, if he will investigate the reasons for the inability of a constituent of the hon. Member for Torbay to receive income support with disability element on a weekly basis.

James Plaskitt: Jobcentre Plus wrote to the hon. Member on 30 June 2008 explaining what action his constituent needed to take to receive weekly payments of income support. The situation has now been rectified and the constituent is receiving their income support weekly.
	It has been brought to my attention that the reply I gave the hon. Member for Torbay, on 2 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 890-1W, incorrectly stated that all claims to income support are paid weekly, the answer should have read as follows. I apologise for this oversight.
	Most claims to income support are paid on a weekly basis in arrears. However, income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for work is generally paid fortnightly in arrears (except where the case has been continuous since before April 1995). Customers receiving income support with widows or bereavement benefit are normally paid in advance.
	From April 2009 all new claims to income support will be paid fortnightly in arrears in line with employment and support allowance (ESA) which will be introduced in October 2008.
	Weekly payments will be considered in exceptional circumstances and for up to 26 weeks. A customer's disability would not, of itself, justify weekly payment.

Post Office Card Accounts: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much and what proportion of each type of state benefit paid to residents in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency was paid into Post Office card accounts in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The answer is not available in the precise format requested. The following table shows the number and percentage of state benefit payments paid into Post Office card accounts in Bexleyheath and Crayford in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   December 2003  December 2004  December 2005  December 2006  December 2007 
			   Total  Percentage  Total  Percentage  Total  Percentage  Total  Percentage  Total  Percentage 
			 Attendance Allowance 10 1 100 11 120 15 110 15 110 15 
			 Bereavement Benefit   
			 Disability Living Allowance 10 1 270 11 330 13 330 12 340 12 
			 Incapacity Benefit 10 1 110 9 150 12 150 12 140 11 
			 Carers Allowance   70 14 80 14 70 13 80 13 
			 Industrial Injuries 20 4 50 16 50 18 60 20 60 19 
			 Income Support 30 1 320 14 490 22 480 21 450 20 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance 30 4 90 11 140 16 110 13 70 12 
			 Pension Credit   500 19 810 29 780 28 720 26 
			 State Pension 90 1 1,350 9 2,130 15 2,000 14 1,860 13 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance   10 6 20 15 20 15 20 14 
			 Widows Benefit 10 2 20 9 20 13 20 11 20 13 
			 Total 220 1 2,880 11 4,340 17 4,140 16 3,850 15 
			  Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, percentages to the nearest whole per cent. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date. 4. Child benefit is administered by HM Revenue and Customs and War Pensions are administered by MOD. These benefits have therefore been excluded.  Source: DWP, Information Directorate

Social Fund

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many staff at each of his Department's offices were employed to process  (a) crisis loans,  (b) budgeting loans and  (c) community care grant applications in each month since 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many staff were employed in running the Social Fund in each month since April 2003, broken down by site and scheme; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many staff were employed to process  (a) crisis loan,  (b) budgeting loan and  (c) community care grant applications in each month since 2003, broken down by location of employment; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 17 July 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent questions on staff allocations for social fund application processing asking: how many staff at each of his Department's offices were employed to process  (a) crisis loans  (b) budgeting loans and  (c) community care grant applications in each month since 2003: how many staff were employed in running the Social Fund in each month since April 2003 broken down by site and scheme: how many staff were employed to process  (a) a crisis loan  (b) a budgeting loan and  (c) community care grant applications in each month since 2003 broken down by location of employment. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	We began centralising benefit delivery in April 2006. Prior to this staff were working on social fund applications at Jobcentres and Social Security offices throughout the country and we did not keep staffing data specific to these job roles.
	The available information is for the total number of staff employed nationally on each Social Fund type and is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Staff employed to process community care grants, crisis loans and budgeting loans (full-time equivalents) 
			   April 2006  May 2006  June 2006  July 2006  August 2006  September 2006 
			 Process SF Community Care Grants 578.73 585.9 600.77 635.11 626.29 614.39 
			 Process SF Crisis Loans 658.69 855.61 847.62 849.55 860.16 848.97 
			 Process SF Budgeting Loans 899.59 960.35 981.1 994.18 988.03 986.72 
		
	
	
		
			   October 2006  November 2006  December 2006  January 2007  February 2007  March 2007 
			 Process SF Community Care Grants 632.6 634.7 634.32 645.43 637.5 635.45 
			 Process SF Crisis Loans 1,018.64 1,042.34 1,076.91 1,041.20 1,014.04 1,017.65 
			 Process SF Budgeting Loans 980.35 970.1 952.6 935.79 947.16 931.5 
		
	
	
		
			   April 2007  May 2007  June 2007  July 2007  August 2007  September 2007 
			 Process SF Community Care Grants 639.18 639.49 653 648.19 611.38 609.07 
			 Process SF Crisis Loans 1,018.04 1,053.50 1,128.56 1,541.62 1,560.06 1,814.32 
			 Process SF Budgeting Loans 890.81 900.05 875.61 800.82 669.16 629.31 
		
	
	
		
			   October 2007  November 2007  December 2007  January 2008  February 2008  March 2 0 08 
			 Process SF Community Care Grants 610.43 573.17 559.96 560.99 560.16 553.43 
			 Process SF Crisis Loans 1,814.23 1,833.30 1,823.42 1,825.56 1,799.51 1,754.12 
			 Process SF Budgeting Loans 631.57 555.62 597.05 561.08 558.84 525.17 
		
	
	
		
			   April 2008  May 2008 
			 Process SF Community Care Grants 561.4 579.97 
			 Process SF Crisis Loans 1,261.68 1,311.28 
			 Process SF Budgeting Loans 470.9 455.44 
			  Source:  Activity Based Management Data.

Social Security Benefits: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of children under 16 years old in London parliamentary constituencies had at least one parent or guardian who was claiming one or more of incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, jobseekers allowance, income support and pension credit in each of the last 10 years.

Anne McGuire: Information is not available prior to 2004; the available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion of children aged 0-15 dependent on a parent or guardian claiming one or more of income support, jobseekers allowance, incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or pension credit, by parliamentary constituency in London 
			  Percentage 
			  Parliamentary constituency  April 2004  April 2005  April 2006  April 2007 
			 Barking 38.9 38.0 38.1 35.3 
			 Battersea 27.1 25.8 25.8 25.0 
			 Beckenham 18.5 18.0 17.9 16.1 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow 48.9 46.4 45.7 44.7 
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford 17.4 17.4 17.4 16.8 
			 Brent East 35.2 34.6 34.1 32.2 
			 Brent North 23.7 23.5 23.8 22.9 
			 Brent South 37.4 36.8 36.1 34.0 
			 Brentford and Isleworth 23.0 22.9 22.7 22.0 
			 Bromley and Chislehurst 16.1 15.6 15.2 14.6 
			 Camberwell and Peckham 41.8 40.1 38.7 37.2 
			 Carshalton and Wallington 21.2 20.4 20.3 20.2 
			 Chingford and Woodford Green 19.9 19.8 20.6 21.4 
			 Chipping Barnet 17.2 17.3 17.1 16.7 
			 Cities of London and Westminster 24.0 23.9 23.9 22.8 
			 Croydon Central 31.3 31.2 31.0 29.4 
			 Croydon North 29.2 29.5 29.3 27.8 
			 Croydon South 15.1 14.9 14.9 14.7 
			 Dagenham 35.5 35.7 35.5 34.0 
			 Dulwich and West Norwood 29.0 27.4 27.2 25.3 
			 Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush 35.8 35.3 35.0 33.6 
			 Ealing North 27.9 27.7 27.6 25.8 
			 Ealing Southall 27.3 27.1 26.6 25.7 
			 East Ham 36.9 35.7 35.4 33.1 
			 Edmonton 35.9 37.0 38.0 37.1 
			 Eltham 28.9 28.5 28.0 27.6 
			 Enfield North 31.7 32.9 33.6 33.8 
			 Enfield Southgate 17.4 18.1 17.5 17.3 
			 Erith and Thamesmead 34.0 33.3 33.3 31.8 
			 Feltham and Heston 29.8 29.4 29.1 28.4 
			 Finchley and Golders Green 18.5 18.3 18.0 16.3 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 40.5 38.9 38.4 36.4 
			 Hackney North and Stoke Newington 34.2 32.7 31.5 30.2 
			 Hackney South and Shoreditch 48.9 47.3 47.3 44.9 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 31.4 30.5 29.9 29.1 
			 Hampstead and Highgate 32.5 31.9 30.9 29.1 
			 Harrow East 22.3 22.6 22.6 23.0 
			 Harrow West 18.8 18.8 18.1 17.9 
			 Hayes and Harlington 31.2 30.8 30.8 30.4 
			 Hendon 27.1 27.0 26.9 25.6 
			 Holborn and St. Pancras 45.2 44.6 44.0 41.2 
			 Hornchurch 16.3 16.5 17.1 17.2 
			 Hornsey and Wood Green 29.7 29.0 28.3 26.9 
			 Ilford North 21.5 21.6 21.3 21.4 
			 Ilford South 28.0 28.6 29.3 29.6 
			 Islington North 43.7 42.8 42.6 41.4 
			 Islington South and Finsbury 47.7 47.1 46.8 45.8 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 17.7 16.2 15.6 15.1 
			 Kingston and Surbiton 15.6 15.5 15.4 14.5 
			 Lewisham Deptford 36.2 34.9 34.7 33.9 
			 Lewisham East 32.5 32.8 33.2 33.6 
			 Lewisham West 30.9 30.0 30.6 30.3 
			 Leyton and Wanstead 32.1 31.5 30.1 28.4 
			 Mitcham and Morden 26.6 26.3 26.2 24.5 
			 North Southwark and Bermondsey 42.6 41.0 39.3 37.4 
			 Old Bexley and Sidcup 11.8 11.3 10.9 10.8 
			 Orpington 18.0 17.9 17.7 17.5 
			 Poplar and Canning Town 51.2 48.7 48.2 46.8 
			 Putney 26.3 25.2 24.3 23.9 
			 Regent's Park and Kensington North 45.4 44.5 44.1 43.0 
			 Richmond Park 11.2 11.2 10.6 10.0 
			 Romford 17.8 17.9 17.6 17.6 
			 Ruislip-Northwood 15.0 14.7 13.6 12.9 
			 Streatham 33.8 32.8 32.9 31.3 
			 Sutton and Cheam 11.0 11.6 11.8 11.6 
			 Tooting 22.6 21.9 21.8 20.8 
			 Tottenham 48.8 48.0 46.6 43.5 
			 Twickenham 11.2 11.2 11.1 10.7 
			 Upminster 20.6 20.1 19.1 18.8 
			 Uxbridge 23.3 22.9 22.4 22.9 
			 Vauxhall 40.0 39.1 39.1 37.7 
			 Walthamstow 34.2 34.2 33.1 32.9 
			 West Ham 41.1 39.4 38.1 36.1 
			 Wimbledon 10.5 10.0 9.4 8.5 
			  Notes: 1. All data represent a snapshot in time of claimants on the computer system, and therefore exclude a very small number of cases that are held clerically. 2. Due to the introduction of child tax credits in April 2003, information on child dependents is not reliably completed on the benefit computer system. Children have been merged onto income support/jobseeker's allowance/incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance/pension credit claims from child benefit records with permission from HMRC. 3. The total number of children aged 0-15 on child benefit in each parliamentary constituency at the relevant year has been used as the denominator for the percentages given.  Source: DWP Information Directorate

Social Security Benefits: North East

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of all children under 16 years old were living in households in receipt of benefits in each parliamentary constituency in the North East in 2008.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available for households in the format requested. The available information, which is for those claiming income support, jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or pension credit, is in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of children aged 0 to 15 dependent on a parent or guardian claiming one or more of income support, jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or pension credit: North East region parliamentary constituencies April 2007 
			   Percentage 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 14.3 
			 Bishop Auckland 24.5 
			 Blaydon 18.0 
			 Blyth Valley 21.1 
			 Darlington 23.0 
			 Durham, City of 17.4 
			 Easington 31.8 
			 Gateshead East and Washington West 23.4 
			 Hartlepool 28.6 
			 Hexham 7.8 
			 Houghton and Washington East 24.1 
			 Jarrow 24.2 
			 Middlesbrough 35.0 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 23.6 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Central 26.0 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend 31.5 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne North 23.4 
			 North Durham 21.5 
			 North Tyneside 23.9 
			 North West Durham 19.1 
			 Redcar 27.7 
			 Sedgefield 21.8 
			 South Shields 31.0 
			 Stockton North 27.9 
			 Stockton South 15.8 
			 Sunderland North 26.1 
			 Sunderland South 27.9 
			 Tyne Bridge 34.6 
			 Tynemouth 15.2 
			 Wansbeck 23.0 
			  Notes: 1. All data represent a snapshot in time of claimants on the computer system, and therefore exclude a very small number of cases that are held clerically. 2. The Department does not have complete information on child dependents on the benefit computer systems, therefore children have been merged onto income support, jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and pension credit claims from child benefit records with permission from HMRC. 3. The total numbers of children aged 0 to 15 on child benefit in each parliamentary constituency at the relevant year have been used as the denominator for the percentages given.  Source: DWP Information Directorate

Social Security Benefits: North East

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many working age households were in receipt of  (a) jobseekers allowance,  (b) income support and  (c) incapacity benefit in each constituency in the North East in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available for households in the format requested. The available information, which is for the number of people claiming one or more of incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, income support or jobseeker's allowance, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of working age incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, income support or jobseeker's allowance claimants in the north east parliamentary constituencies 
			   Incapacity benefit/ severe disablement allowance  Income support  Jobseeker's allowance 
			   November 2005  November 2006  November 2007  November 2005  November 2006  November 2007  November 2005  November 2006  November 2007 
			 Berwick-upon-Tweed 3,090 3,010 2,850 1,710 1,670 1,630 960 1,040 790 
			 Bishop Auckland 6,230 6,190 6,080 3,820 3,860 3,810 1,340 1,290 1,160 
			 Blaydon 4,300 4,190 4,050 2,540 2,570 2,490 1,050 990 930 
			 Blyth Valley 5,230 5,010 4,690 3,230 3,140 3,000 1,460 1,560 1,330 
			 City of Durham 4,720 4,610 4,430 2,340 2,380 2,340 970 930 840 
			 Darlington 5,090 4,980 4,880 3,840 3,900 3,870 1,550 1,590 1,560 
			 Easington 9,410 8,800 8,480 4,630 4,510 4,370 1,190 1,220 1,150 
			 Gateshead East and Washington West 5,550 5,410 5,190 3,690 3,610 3,530 1,240 1,300 1,130 
			 Hartlepool 7,430 7,170 7,100 5,090 5,120 5,130 2,190 2,300 2,220 
			 Hexham 2,590 2,450 2,270 1,200 1,170 1,130 560 560 540 
			 Houghton and Washington East 6,880 6,640 6,330 4,070 4,070 3,850 1,310 1,420 1,260 
			 Jarrow 5,270 5,130 4,970 3,800 3,800 3,660 1,720 1,900 1,690 
			 Middlesbrough 7,890 7,520 7,180 7,100 6,880 6,740 2,920 3,220 3,020 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 5,770 5,590 5,390 4,080 4,110 3,960 1,690 1,830 1,740 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Central 4,850 4,680 4,580 4,010 3,960 3,810 1,610 1,620 1,540 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend 6,090 5,880 5,700 5,040 5,070 4,990 1,900 2,140 1,960 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne North 5,060 4,930 4,700 3,590 3,620 3,500 1,090 1,170 1,100 
			 North Durham 6,060 5,910 5,670 3,630 3,630 3,500 1,270 1,220 1,120 
			 North Tyneside 5,650 5,480 5,210 4,050 3,990 3,780 1,590 1,790 1,570 
			 North West Durham 5,630 5,540 5,370 3,260 j 3,220 3,180 1,150 1,180 1,070 
			 Redcar 6,420 6,220 5,820 4,750 4,680 4,500 2,180 2,140 2,100 
			 Sedgefield 6,530 6,300 6,000 3,400 3,440 3,320 1,110 1,090 1,010 
			 South Shields 5,730 5,600 5,530 4,760 4,800 4,640 2,320 2,510 2,320 
			 Stockton North 5,860 5,620 5,540 4,700 4,630 4,590 1,970 2,150 1,880 
			 Stockton South 4,360 4,240 4,220 2,840 2,860 2,910 1,500 1,620 1,490 
			 Sunderland North 6,170 6,030 6,030 4,290 4,300 4,260 1,640 1,790 1,680 
			 Sunderland South 6,800 6,530 6,210 4,750 4,710 4,520 1,920 2,070 1,990 
			 Tyne Bridge 7,510 7,260 7,030 6,520 6,440 6,190 2,640 2,650 2,400 
			 Tynemouth 4,020 3,960 3,730 2,570 2,580 2,530 1,270 1,290 1,120 
			 Wansbeck 5,420 5,200 4,860 3,250 3,260 3,190 1,680 1,820 1,690 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Numbers of working age incapacity benefit/ severe disablement allowance and jobseeker's allowance claimants by parliamentary constituency, are published on the NOMIS website at www.nomisweb.co.uk 3. Figures cannot be summed across the different benefits due to overlaps.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS

State Retirement Pensions

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people receive the UK state pension in a form which  (a) is and  (b) is not frozen, broken down by country of residence. [Official Report, 29 September 2008, Vol. 479, c. 15MC .]

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of state pension recipients living overseas in countries and territories where the state pension is up-rated (EEA and Switzerland and countries and territories covered by a reciprocal agreement which allows for up-ratings) 
			  Country  Number of recipients 
			 Austria 4,930 
			 Barbados 5,120 
			 Belgium 4,560 
			 Bermuda 610 
			 Bulgaria 220 
			 Cyprus 14,490 
			 Denmark 1,950 
			 Finland 700 
			 Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 50 
			 France 42,790 
			 Germany 33,690 
			 Gibraltar 1,130 
			 Greece 3,960 
			 Guernsey 6,210 
			 Hungary 770 
			 Iceland 50 
			 Ireland 108,290 
			 Isle of Man 210 
			 Israel 4,070 
			 Italy 35,370 
			 Jamaica 21,460 
			 Jersey 8,720 
			 Liechtenstein 30 
			 Luxembourg 280 
			 Malta 4,130 
			 Mauritius 550 
			 Netherlands 8,360 
			 Norway 1,860 
			 Philippines 1,190 
			 Poland 1,380 
			 Portugal 7,150 
			 Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina 20 
			 Republic of Croatia 340 
			 Republic of Estonia 40 
			 Republic of Latvia 110 
			 Republic of Lithuania 50 
			 Republic of Slovenia 150 
			 Romania 40 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 420 
			 Spain 86,670 
			 Sweden 2,470 
			 Switzerland 6,770 
			 The Czech Republic 230 
			 The Slovak Republic 20 
			 Turkey 1,070 
			 USA 132,080 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of state pension recipients living overseas in frozen rate countries and territories 
			  Country  Number of recipients 
			 Albania 10 
			 Alderney 550 
			 Algeria 10 
			 Andorra 200 
			 Anguilla 150 
			 Antigua 450 
			 Antilles (Netherlands) 40 
			 Arab Emirates 390 
			 Argentina 250 
			 Australia 246,110 
			 Bahamas 250 
			 Bahrain 80 
			 Bangladesh 2,570 
			 Belize 70 
			 Bolivia 30 
			 Botswana 140 
			 Brazil 550 
			 Brunei 20 
			 Cameroon 10 
			 Canada 156,230 
			 Cape Verde Islands 10 
			 Cayman Islands 130 
			 Chile 210 
			 China People's Republic 150 
			 Colombia 110 
			 Cook Islands 10 
			 Costa Rica 50 
			 Cuba 10 
			 Djibouti 90 
			 Dominica Commonwealth 1,100 
			 Dominican Republic 40 
			 Ecuador 50 
			 Egypt 210 
			 El Salvador 10 
			 Ethiopia 20 
			 Falkland Islands + Deps 50 
			 Faroe Islands 10 
			 Fiji 90 
			 French Overseas Departments 20 
			 Gambia 80 
			 Ghana 850 
			 Grenada 1,520 
			 Guatemala 10 
			 Guyana 430 
			 Honduras 10 
			 Hong Kong 1,330 
			 India 4,680 
			 Indonesia 120 
			 Iran 20 
			 Japan 780 
			 Jordan 70 
			 Kampuchea 10 
			 Kenya 650 
			 Kuwait 50 
			 Laos 10 
			 Lebanon 60 
			 Lesotho 10 
			 Macau 10 
			 Malawi 80 
			 Malaysia 590 
			 Mexico 340 
			 Monaco 330 
			 Montserrat 130 
			 Morocco 100 
			 Mozambique 10 
			 Namibia 60 
			 Nepal 30 
			 New Zealand 46,430 
			 Nicaragua 10 
			 Nigeria 3,040 
			 Norfolk Island 10 
			 Oman 80 
			 Pakistan 4,960 
			 Panama 40 
			 Papua New Guinea 10 
			 Paraguay 20 
			 Peru 100 
			 Qatar 50 
			 Republic of Azerbaijan 10 
			 Republic of Belarus 20 
			 Republic of Yemen 2,920 
			 Saudi Arabia 150 
			 Senegal 10 
			 Seychelles 120 
			 Sierra Leone 80 
			 Singapore 370 
			 Solomon Islands 10 
			 Somalia 50 
			 South Africa 37,740 
			 South Korea 20 
			 Sri Lanka 730 
			 St. Helena and Deps 80 
			 St. Kitts and Nevis 500 
			 St. Lucia 1,380 
			 St. Vincent and Grenadines 840 
			 Swaziland 100 
			 Syria 30 
			 Taiwan 20 
			 Tanzania 60 
			 Thailand 1,560 
			 The Russian Federation 90 
			 Togo 10 
			 Tonga 10 
			 Tours 40 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 1,430 
			 Tunisia 30 
			 Turks and Caicos Islands 20 
			 Uganda 70 
			 Ukraine 180 
			 Uruguay 50 
			 Vanuatu 20 
			 Venezuela 80 
			 Vietnam 20 
			 Virgin Islands (British) 50 
			 Zambia 190 
			 Zimbabwe 2,270 
			  Notes:  1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Figures as at November 2007. They do not necessarily denote a recipient's permanent place of residence.  3. The agreement with USA covers also American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.  4. UK figures not included.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

State Retirement Pensions: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in Bexley receiving the 25 pence age allowance.

Mike O'Brien: As at November 2007, there were 9,700 state pension claimants aged 80 or over receiving the age addition in the local authority area of Bexley.
	 Notes:
	1. Data are taken from five per cent. extracts of the Pensions Strategy Computer System, therefore figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation. They are also adjusted to be consistent with the overall caseload from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.
	2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
	3. Local authorities are allocated using the Office for National Statistics postcode directory.

State Retirement Pensions: Eligibility

Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many British nationals over state pension age failed the habitual residence test when resuming a residence in the UK in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005,  (c) 2006 and  (d) 2007.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of British nationals over state pension age who have passed or failed the habitual residence test in relation to pension credit 
			   Passed  Failed 
			 2004 2,431 276 
			 2005 2,850 717 
			 2006 2,667 572 
			 2007 1,161 237 
			  Note:  Some of those recorded as passing the test may have previously failed it. Records do not show when the test has been applied to the same person on a previous occasion.   Source:  DWP management information.

State Retirement Pensions: Eligibility

Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons the habitual residence test is applied to older British nationals who are returning to live in the UK.

James Plaskitt: Everyone claiming income-related benefits when arriving or returning to the UK is required to show that they are habitually resident in this country and have a settled intention to remain. The habitual residence test is applied irrespective of age.
	However, returning British nationals re-establishing their ties with the UK may be able to satisfy the test immediately.

Swimming: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department is contributing to the 140 million fund announced on 6th June 2008 to encourage local authorities to offer free swimming.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has committed 22 million towards the 140 million fund over the period of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.

Vaccination: Compensation

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many payments have been made under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme in each year since its inception; and for which vaccines the payment was awarded in each case.

Anne McGuire: The number of payments made under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979, in each financial year since 1979 is listed in the following table.
	The Department does not hold information about the specific vaccines linked to a successful vaccine damage payment claim. Claimants are asked to specify on the claim form all the vaccinations the disabled person received. However, as many vaccinations can be given in close proximity to each other it is not always possible to state categorically which vaccine caused the adverse reaction. Where a payment is made disability is not attributed to any specific vaccination.
	
		
			  Vaccine damage payments: awards made in each year since 1978-79 
			  Year (1 April to 31 March)  Number of payments made 
			 1978-79 36 
			 1979-80 317 
			 1980-81 256 
			 1981-82 68 
			 1982-83 38 
			 1983-84 40 
			 1984-85 36 
			 1985-86 24 
			 1986-87 17 
			 1987-88 10 
			 1988-89 3 
			 1989-90 3 
			 1990-91 1 
			 1991-92 7 
			 1992-93 13 
			 1993-94 3 
			 1994-95 7 
			 1995-96 6 
			 1996-97 5 
			 1997-98 3 
			 1998-99 0 
			 1999-2000 4 
			 2000-01 2 
			 2001-02 3 
			 2002-03 5 
			 2003-04 5 
			 2004-05 4 
			 2005-06 5 
			 2006-07 4 
			 2007-08 2 
			   
			 Total 927 
			  Note: When the scheme was established in 1978 there was a large backlog of cases that had to be dealt with. This accounts for the large number of awards made in the early years of the scheme. One of the main reasons for the decline, over time, in the number of awards made is that medical knowledge and understanding has significantly advanced since 1978. Additionally, many reliable research papers since then have demonstrated that a clear link between vaccines and adverse reactions, sufficient to accept causation on the balance of probabilities, is not as great as had been previously thought.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Detainees

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits have been made by personnel from his Department to detainees transferred from the custody of British forces to the government of Afghanistan in each month since December 2007; and what the purpose of each visit was.

Des Browne: Records show that, since December 2007, UK armed forces personnel have made nine visits to see Afghan detainees transferred to the custody of the government of Afghanistan, normally seeing several detainees in one visit. The visits are broken down by month as follows:
	
		
			  Month  Number of visits 
			 December 2007 1 
			 January 2008 0 
			 February 2008 0 
			 March 2008 3 
			 April 2008 1 
			 May 2008 1 
			 June 2008 2 
			 July 2008 1 
		
	
	The purpose of the visits was to check on the welfare and status of the detainees.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the level of enhancement provided by the British armament package to the operational abilities of the Mastiff in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding details as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Armed Forces: Fuels

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planning assumptions his Department made regarding the unit cost of principal hydrocarbon fuels used by HM Armed Forces in determining its budget allocations for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Bob Ainsworth: The final Defence Corporate Planning Assumptions used when setting budget allocations for 2007-08 and 2008-09 were as follows:
	
		
			  Propulsion fuel prices 
			   per cubic metre 
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			 Aviation Fuel 350 440 
			 Marine Fuel 280 360 
			 Road Diesel 880 1090 
			 Other Propulsion Fuel 860 1020

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the user capability statement of the MOD Mastiff is; and what role it is to perform in Afghanistan.

Bob Ainsworth: Mastiff is used to provide armoured protection for troops. I am withholding further details as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armoured vehicles have been provided out of the future rapid effect system budget.

Bob Ainsworth: None.

Defence Equipment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average cost of equipping an individual serviceman or woman is with  (a) basic,  (b) specialist and  (c) personal kit.

Bob Ainsworth: The approximate cost of basic uniform issued to service personnel during their recruitment stage is shown as follows:
	
		
			   
			   Army  RAF  RN 
			 Officers 900 (1)1,100 (2)1,700 
			 Other ranks 760 (3)1,200 470 
			 (1 )Includes mess dress. (2 )Includes tropical clothing. (3 )Includes RAF Blues. 
		
	
	There are hundreds of specialist trades across the three services and well over 1,000 items of specialist equipment. It is therefore not possible to provide an average cost of specialist kit. The cost of the personal kit issued to all those deploying on operations, which includes enhanced combat body armour and Mk6a helmet, is approximately 2,500.

Departmental Computers

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 21 January 2008,  Official Report, column 1225, on MOD (data loss), how many of the 347 laptops stolen or lost from the Ministry of Defence since 2004 have been recovered.

Des Browne: As a result of the theft of the Royal Navy laptop, the Ministry of Defence has initiated an investigation into the details of all computers lost or stolen since 2003. This investigation is under way and I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available and arrange for a copy of my letter to be placed in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Des Browne to Mark Pritchard:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 29 January 2008, (Official Report, column 184W) about the number of laptops stolen or lost from the Ministry of Defence since 2004 that had subsequently been recovered.
	The figure of 347 laptops that you quote can be derived from information provided in answer to the hon Member for Rayleigh (Mr Francois) on 19 January 2007, (Official Report, column 1363-4W) and the hon Member for South West Hertfordshire (Mr Gauke) on 10 December 2007, (Official Report, column 58W) and relates only to stolen laptops.
	Revised figures have been taken from the data collated in the course of the investigation into details of computers and other electronic media lost/stolen since 2003 and provided to Sir Edmund Burton as part of his review. For all years they show an increase in the number of stolen laptops from the numbers previously reported is because the Burton Review investigation revealed anomalies in the reporting process. Instructions have been issued to remedy these shortcomings.
	Revised figures as at today are set out below.
	
		
			   Previously reported stolen laptops  Updated stolen laptops  Updated lost laptops  Updated total stolen and lost laptops  Updated laptops recovered (stolen/lost) 
			 2004 173 272 22 294 6 
			 2005 40 130 18 148 11 
			 2006 66 155 27 182 6 
			 2007 68 101 22 (1)123 9 
			 Total 347 658 89 747 32 
			 (1) A corresponding figure of 230 was given in Burton Report (Summary, Paragraph 38c, Page 9.) Subsequent reclassification and clarification of incidents has reduced the figure to 123.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on urgent operational requirements in near cash terms in each financial year since 2001-02.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 594W.

Fish

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much fish was procured by his Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species.

Bob Ainsworth: The amount of fish procured since the start of the current MOD food supply contract on 1 October 2006 is approximately 1,300 metric tonnes. The cost, broken down by species, is as follows:
	
		
			  Spend () 
			  Species  October 2006 to September 2007  October 2007 to June 2008 
			 Prawn (including scampi) 661,335 414,370 
			 Cod 606,468 413,163 
			 Canned fish 485,090 301,628 
			 Haddock 197,265 145,982 
			 Salmon 184,652 113,611 
			 Plaice 134,917 75,544 
			 Tuna 41,182 26,764 
			 Hoki 30,515 28,672 
			 Halibut 28,687 23,615 
			 Mackerel 30,219 21,996 
			 Hake 28,894 16,242 
			 Pollock 16,629 16,896 
			 Scallops 21,596 9,848 
			 Kippers 15,707 8,550 
			 Trout 10,293 13,454 
			 Blanchbait 2,787 875 
			 River Cobbler  1,890 
		
	
	All fish purchased through the MOD food supply contract is subject to extensive and stringent quality standards. These are comparable to, or exceed, extant EC and legislative standards.
	Further detailed information in respect of fish procured outside of the MOD food supply contract, such as contract catering/pay as you dine establishments and the spend prior to October 2006 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The value of fish procured that meets the Marine Stewardship Council Standard is not held.

Flag Office Sea Training: Plymouth

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many foreign naval vessels and auxiliaries visited HM Naval Base Devonport under the auspices of Flag Office Sea Training in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of foreign naval vessels and auxiliaries that have undertaken training at Flag Office Sea Training (South) over the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Ships  Auxiliaries 
			 2003-04 15 0 
			 2004-05 18 2 
			 2005-06 16 2 
			 2006-07 14 0 
			 2007-08 18 2 
			 2008-09(1) 4 1 
			 (1 )To date.

Flag Office Sea Training: Plymouth

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Naval vessels have taken part in training exercises in Plymouth under the auspices of Flag Office Sea Training for each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels that have undertaken training exercises at Flag Office Sea Training (South) over the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  RN  RFA 
			 2003-04 28 13 
			 2004-05 29 8 
			 2005-06 27 17 
			 2006-07 23 11 
			 2007-08 25 13 
			 2008-09 (to date) 6 2

Flag Office Sea Training: Plymouth

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Royal Naval personnel and  (b) civilian staff are employed in Plymouth by Flag Office Sea Training.

Bob Ainsworth: Flag Office Sea Training (South) employs 373 Royal Navy personnel and 40 civil servants in Plymouth. These figures include staff supporting training and resettlement in HMS Drake. The civil service figure includes 14 Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel.

Fuels: Expenditure

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on fuels in the financial year 2008-09; and what his Department's budget allocation for expenditure on fuel for 2008-09 was.

Bob Ainsworth: Initial, verified estimates for expenditure on fuel during the current financial year will be available later in the year. We keep the price of fuel under regular review and adjust our budget allocations accordingly.

Gazelle Helicopters

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans are in place to cover capability gaps left by the withdrawal from service of the Gazelle helicopter in 2012.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1174-75W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).

Gazelle Helicopters

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2008,  Official Report, column 797W, on military aircraft: helicopters, by what means his Department plans to replace the  (a) flying capacity and  (b) skill base once the Gazelle helicopter has been taken out of service.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1174W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox). With the planned decommissioning of the Gazelle Fleet, there will be no requirement to maintain experience of flying this type of helicopter beyond 2012.

HMS Vivid

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the trained strength of HMS Vivid is.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 30 June 2008, the trained strength of HMS Vivid was 99 (30 officers and 69 ratings).

Iraq: Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the contents of the review of detention practices in Iraq and Afghanistan he disclosed in his letter to the hon. Member for Chichester of 7 July 2008.

Des Browne: 17 per cent. of the report on the review of detention practices was disclosed in my letter of 7 July. If the annexes are added, then about 4 per cent. of the overall review concerning detention practices was disclosed. As I explained in my letter, much of the information requested was exempt from release under the Freedom of Information Act.

Navy: Antiship Missiles

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the Sea Skua system entered service with the Royal Navy;
	(2)  what improvements have been made to the Sea Skua system since it entered service with the Royal Navy; and what the cost of each has been;
	(3)  what the planned out-of-service date of the Sea Skua system is;
	(4)  whether his Department plans to make further improvements to the Sea Skua system.

Bob Ainsworth: The Sea Skua Missile entered service with the Royal Navy in 1982.
	In order to extend the operational life of the missiles, some component change and re-qualification programmes have been carried out. These included replacing the energetic material used in both rocket motors, at a cost of about 11 million; and refurbishment of the missile's motor ignition delay unit, at a cost of 0.9 million. In addition, Sea Skua was subject to a life extension programme at a cost of 0.8 million. There are currently no plans to make further improvements to the Sea Skua system.
	On present planning assumptions, which may change, Sea Skua will be withdrawn from service by approximately the middle of the next decade.

RAF Halton

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to upgrade the training facilities at RAF Halton; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: We have plans for a range of improvements to the training facilities at RAF Halton. The capability of training facilities at RAF Halton is kept under continuous review to ensure the station is able to deliver its outputs.

RAF Halton

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to upgrade the accommodation facilities at RAF Halton.

Bob Ainsworth: We have plans for a range of improvements to the accommodation and working facilities at RAF Halton.

RFA Fort Victoria

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the status of RFA Fort Victoria is; and for what reasons it has been alongside for an extended period in Portsmouth Dockyard.

Bob Ainsworth: RFA Fort Victoria remains within the fleet operational cycle. In addition to providing a training facility, the time alongside in Portsmouth has been fully utilised to increase the ship's material state prior to an upkeep period next year.

Tanks

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) unit cost and  (b) in-service date of the (i) Chieftain, (ii) Challenger I and (iii) Challenger II main battle tanks was.

Bob Ainsworth: The unit costs and historical financial records of the Chieftain and Challenger I are no longer held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The unit cost for Challenger II was listed as 3.5 million in 1999.
	The in-service dates were Chieftain 1965, Challenger I 1984 and Challenger II June 1998.

Upholder Class Submarines

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) unit cost and  (b) date of commissioning of each Upholder Class submarine was.

Bob Ainsworth: The upholder class of four submarines was commissioned in the early 1990s and the exact dates are shown in the following table. This class was sold to the Canadian Navy in 1998.
	Due to the length of time that has elapsed since their commissioning, the unit cost is no longer held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Upholder class  Commissioning dates 
			 HMS Upholder 9 June 1990 
			 HMS Ursula 8 May 1992 
			 HMS Unicorn 25 June 1993 
			 HMS Unseen 7 June 1991

Warships

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the unit cost of  (a) HMS Astute,  (b) HMS Ambush and  (c) HMS Artful was.

Bob Ainsworth: The contract with BAES (Submarine Solutions) is for design and manufacture of the three astute class submarines. The National Audit Office's Major Project Report for 2007 reported a total cost of 3,798 million.

Warships

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the unit cost of  (a) HMS Daring,  (b) HMS Dauntless and  (c) HMS Diamond is.

Bob Ainsworth: As published in the NAO's Major Projects Report 2007, the unit production cost for one Type 45 Destroyer is 650 million.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Buildings

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Prime Minister how many  (a) new builds and  (b) major refurbishments for a cost in excess of 0.5 million were completed by his Office in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) on 9 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1625W.

Departmental Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff he plans to employ in 10 Downing Street in 2009-10.

Gordon Brown: The number of No. 10 staff is published annually.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Prime Minister what vehicle excise duty band his official car falls into.

Gordon Brown: As has been the practice of successive Governments, for security reasons the Prime Minister's car is provided by the Metropolitan Police Service.

Departmental Responsibilities

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister how many reviews of regulation Downing Street has conducted or commenced since July 2007; and in which areas.

Gordon Brown: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Phil Hope) on 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 153W.

Departmental Staff

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister what the staff cost of his Office was in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Gordon Brown: The total staff costs for the Office for the financial year 2006-07 were 11.6 million. Figures for the financial year 2007-08 are not yet available.

Honours

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the procedure is for a  (a) Canadian and  (b) British citizen to return an honour; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many honours were returned by  (a) Canadian and  (b) British citizens since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The information requested is not held centrally. There is no specific procedure for people appointed to an honour to return their medals.

Intelligence and Security Committee

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure that the secretariat of the Intelligence and Security Committee is staffed by officials under the authority of the Clerk of the House.

David Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister what steps have been taken to implement the proposals to bring the work of the Intelligence and Security Committee into line with that of Select Committees as far as possible in line with the proposals in the Green Paper, the Governance of Britain; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: Plans for the Intelligence and Security Committee were set out in the Governance of Britain White Paper (Cm 7342-1, paragraphs 235-244). On the issue of staffing, I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on 17 June 2008,  Official Report, column 883W.

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 920-1W, on the Olympic games, what estimate he has made of the cost of his officials' attendance at the Beijing Olympic games.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 920W.

Oman: Diplomatic Relations

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to meet representatives of the Government of Oman in Muscat.

Gordon Brown: I met the Sultan of Oman in London on Tuesday; we discussed a wide range of issues. The Government are in regular contact with Government of Oman at all levels. For security reasons, my future engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

HEALTH

Antidepressants

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been prescribed anti-depressant medication in each of the last three years, broken down by region; and what percentage of the population of each region each represents.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of people prescribed a medicine is not collected centrally therefore we are unable to provide the information requested. However, the number of prescription items prescribed for antidepressant medication(1) is shown in the following table.
	(1) Antidepressant medication has been defined as those products included in the British National Formulary chapter 4.3antidepressant drugs.
	
		
			  Thousand 
			  Strategic health authority  2005  2006  2007 
			 East Midlands 2,524.3 2,670.7 2,962.7 
			 East of England 3,301.6 3,516.2 3,851.0 
			 London 2,692.2 2,863.7 3,114.1 
			 North East 1,995.4 2,130.2 2,344.5 
			 North West 5,085.7 5,297.8 5,704.4 
			 South Central 2,240.8 2,376.3 2,583.4 
			 South East Coast 2,233.2 2,375.3 2,591.3 
			 South West 3,071.3 3,269.8 3,590.5 
			 West Midlands 2,839.3 3,006.4 3,277.1 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 3,406.0 3,531.6 3,820.8 
			 Total 29,389.8 31,038.0 33,839.8 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis

Care Homes: Elderly

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many registered care homes for the elderly there were in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England in each year since 2001;
	(2)  how many people were resident in registered care homes for the elderly in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England in each year since 2001.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 14 July 2008
	 Until 2001, information on the numbers of care and nursing homes were collected by the Department. At 31 March 2001, there were 10,535 care and nursing homes for older people aged 65 or over in England.
	Data on the total number of care and nursing homes for older people in Lancashire are not held centrally. However, data are available showing there were 259 care homes for older people age 65 and over in Lancashire local authority area at March 2001. In addition, there were 172 nursing homes, but this figure includes all homes for adults and can not be broken down further to give numbers for older people aged 65 and over. Data for Ribble Valley constituency are not held centrally.
	The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) produces data on the number of care homes and places registered as at 31 March each year, beginning with 2002-03. There are some definitional differences between these data and those for the years up to 2001.
	I have been informed by CSCI that care homes are not registered as, for example, care homes for older people. CSCI inspectors will decide at the time of an inspection whether to inspect a home against the national minimum standards (NMS) for care homes for older people or younger adults. This decision is based on the age profile of the residents of the home.
	The following table shows the number of care and nursing homes which were active in Lancashire council area and England on 31 March at the end of each financial year shown, that had been inspected at some point prior against the NMS for older people (though not necessarily during the year in question).
	CSCI is unable to provide separate data for Ribble Valley constituency.
	
		
			   Number of homes 
			  Lancashire council area  
			 2002-03 345 
			 2003-04 364 
			 2004-05 333 
			 2005-06 325 
			 2006-07 320 
			   
			  England  
			 2002-03 10,049 
			 2003-04 11,167 
			 2004-05 10,865 
			 2005-06 10,671 
			 2006-07 10,565 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are at 31 March for each year. 2. Information on numbers of residents in care homes is not collected centrally.  Source: CSCI registration and inspection database

Care Homes: Inspections

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) private,  (b) public and  (c) voluntary sector homes in (i) the London Borough of Bexley and (ii) Greater London were inspected by the Commission for Social Care Inspection in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: We have been informed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the number of care homes registered with and inspected by CSCI in London and Bexley during the years 2004 to 2008 were as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Registered care homes in London and Bexley, 2004-08 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  London  
			 Public(1) 140 144 137 131 121 
			 Private 1,155 1,168 1,170 1,216 1,240 
			 Voluntary 755 720 686 632 585 
			 Other 4 3 28 40 45 
			 Total 2,054 2,035 2,021 2,019 1,991 
			   
			  Bexley  
			 Public(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Private 15 16 15 18 17 
			 Voluntary 21 21 20 17 16 
			 Other 0 0 0 1 3 
			 Total 36 37 35 36 36 
			 (1) Figures for publicly owned homes include those owned by the national health service and those owned by councils.  Notes: 1. Figures are calculated using registration details on a static cut of the CSCI registration and inspection database taken on 2 May 2008. 2. Figures are for 31 March of each year.  Source: CSCI registration and inspection database, 2 May 2008.

Cervical Cancer: Vaccination

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons his Department selected Cervarix as the vaccine for cervical cancer protection.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Members for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds) and for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on 2 July 2008 , Official Report, column 943W.

Cord Blood

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  who has been consulted as part of his Department's review of the collection and use of cord blood; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when the findings of his Department's review of the collection and use of cord blood will be published.

Dawn Primarolo: The review on the collection and use of cord blood will report in the autumn and any findings will be published in due course.
	As part of the review, an expert workshop was held on 28 May 2008. Participants included international cord blood experts, public and private cord blood banks, the royal colleges, regulatory agencies, research councils, charities and Government Departments. Further to this, a series of interviews and questionnaires have been completed by various individuals and organisations, both in the United Kingdom and internationally, who have an interest in this area.

Departmental Catering

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of  (a) beef,  (b) lamb,  (c) pork and  (d) dairy products used in his departmental headquarters were imported products in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The requested information is given in the 'Proportion of Domestically Produced Food used by Government Departments and also supplied to Hospitals and Prisons under contracts negotiated by the NHS Supply Chain and HM Prison Service' report (published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), copies of which have already been placed in the Library.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the change has been in the number of employees of  (a) the NHS and  (b) his Department and its agencies since July 2006.

Ben Bradshaw: Between 30 September 2006 and 30 September 2007, there was a fall of 6,113 (-0.6 per cent.) in the total national health service work force (full-time equivalents) from 1,095,163 to 1,089,050.
	The number of staff (full-time equivalents) in the Department and its agencies at the end of June 2006 (the nearest quarter to 1 July) and the end of March 2008 (the latest quarter for which information is available), and the change between the two dates, are presented in the following table.
	
		
			   30 June 2006  31 March 2008  Change 
			 Department 2,288.0 2,203.1 -84.9 
			 Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) 758.9 865.3 106.4 
			 NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency 334.4 258.5 -75.9 
			  Notes: 1. Numbers in MHRA have risen because of an increase in business associated with licensing applications. 2. Data for the Department are collected quarterly.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care: non-medical workforce census and medical census collected on 30 September each year.

Epilepsy: Drugs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effects on people's health of taking anti-epileptic drugs unnecessarily as a result of misdiagnosis.

Ann Keen: No assessment has been made of the effects on people's health of taking anti-epileptic drugs unnecessarily as a result of misdiagnosis.

Fish

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much fish was procured by his Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species.

Ben Bradshaw: Records of fish purchases made on behalf of the Department by its catering contractor are only available for the three years to 2008.
	Where available, it is the first choice of our contractor to source seafood from Marine Stewardship Council certified fisheries.
	The breakdown of these purchases are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			   Fish quantities and values 
			  Type  Portions  Value () 
			  2008   
			 Cod 2,515 2,371 
			 CodFish Fingers 1,320 121 
			 CodFish Cakes 616 151 
			 Hoki Fillets 630 486 
			 Snapper 192 327 
			 Haddock 1,548 1,271 
			 Hake 50 49 
			 Mackerel 396 233 
			 Plaice 430 367 
			 Salmon Fish Cakes 720 247 
			 Salmon 560 505 
			 Tuna 760 987 
			 Sub total 9,737  
			
			  2007   
			 Cod 2,159 2,377 
			 CodFish Fingers 2,160 159 
			 CodFish Cakes 1,054 176 
			 Hoki Fillets 180 130 
			 Snapper 40 78 
			 Haddock 1,517 1,334 
			 Hake 480 168 
			 Monk Fish Tails 40 46 
			 Barracuda 74 74 
			 Hoki Fillets 60 49 
			 Lemon Sole 175 197 
			 Pollack 330 169 
			 Mackerel 72 39 
			 Plaice 136 128 
			 Salmon Fish Cakes 1,480 181 
			 Salmon 667 1,451 
			 Tuna 306 364 
			 Sub total 10,930  
			
			  2006   
			 Cod 2,862 3,272 
			 CodFish Fingers 3,000 269 
			 CodFish Cakes 656 146 
			 Hoki Fillets 30 21 
			 Lemon Sole 110 98 
			 Snapper   
			 Haddock 1,742 1,351 
			 Hake   
			 Mackerel 90 51 
			 Marlin 150 150 
			 Plaice 498 537 
			 Grouper 34 34 
			 Salmon Fish Cakes 1,400 208 
			 Salmon 640 636 
			 Tilapia 162 145 
			 Sole 240 212 
			 Tuna 60 115 
			 Trout 30 46 
			 Sub total 11,704  
		
	
	
		
			   Fish quantities and values 
			  Type  Weightkilogram (KG)  Value () 
			  2008   
			 Coley 9.08 38 
			 Calamari 1 6 
			 Seafood Sticks 12 46 
			 Mussels Greenlip 4 21 
			 King Prawns 58 659 
			 Prawns 128 912 
			 Smoked Salmon 14 260 
			 Sub Total 226.08  
			 Total  9,057 
			
			  2007   
			 Coley 44.7 192 
			 Crab Claws 5.4 82 
			 Calamari   
			 Seafood Sticks 11 33 
			 Mussels Greenlip 13 36 
			 King Prawns 76 904 
			 Prawns 150 850 
			 Smoked Salmon 77 734 
			 Scampi 9 66 
			 Squid 10 11 
			 Sub Total 396.1  
			 Total  10,027 
			
			  2006   
			 Coley 4.54 50 
			 Calamari   
			 John Dory 20 120 
			 Seafood Sticks 4 21 
			 Mussels Greenlip 3 20 
			 King Prawns 80 1,824 
			 Prawns 60 389 
			 Smoked Salmon 73 603 
			 Sword Fish 150 80 
			 Scampi 0 0 
			 Scallops 1 17 
			 Sub Total 395.54  
			 Total  10,415

General Practitioners: Standards

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which primary care trusts carried out appraisals of all GPs in their area in the last three years;
	(2)  which primary care trusts have appraised every general practitioner in their area in each of the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. Our plans to introduce appraisal and revalidation for all doctors will mean that all doctors, whatever their location, will have to participate in appraisal in order to obtain relicensure from the GMC.

Health Centres

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he plans to review the effectiveness of new GP-led health centres;
	(2)  when he expects the first GP-led health centre to open;
	(3)  what percentage of primary care trusts have identified sites for GP-led health centres.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government's policy intent is to increase access to and convenience of general practitioner (GP) services. There are a number of ways of measuring the impact that a new GP-led health centre will have on the delivery of services to patients, which will be monitored centrally. Primary care trusts (PCTs) as the responsible commissioners of services will review improvements against their strategic needs assessments and patient satisfaction with the services being delivered to ensure local needs are being met and the public's health and well-being improves.
	The first GP-led health centre opened on 1 July 2008 in Bedfordshire.
	PCTs will decide on the location of their new GP-led health centres and the services within them and will be engaging local people and other stakeholders in these matters to ensure they meet local needs.

Health Education

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) health promotion centres and  (b) health promotion resource centres have been (i) opened and (ii) closed in England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many  (a) health promotion centres and  (b) health promotion resource centres are operating in England.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not hold information centrally or at regional level on the number of health promotion centres and health promotion resource centres opened and closed in England over the last five years, nor on those that are currently operating. It is the responsibility of local national health service organisations to make decisions on the provision of services for their communities, taking into account the needs and well-being of their local populations.

Hospitals: Leasehold

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to extending leasehold enfranchisement to NHS hospitals occupying sites on long leases; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Where a national health service trust occupies a building for operational purposes under a leasehold interest, it relies on Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 to acquire continuity of occupation. There are no proposals to seek further protection under these or other statutory provisions.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether those born before 1 October 1991 and who are aged between 18 and 25 years will be offered the Cervarix vaccine.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is still considering the position with regard to those born before 1 October 1991.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's June 2008 consultation on the proposed new arrangements for the provision of stoma and urology services and related services in primary care, whether his Department has made a competition impact assessment on the use of sponsored nurses; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: No competition impact assessment has been made of the use of sponsored nurses as sponsorship of such posts is outside the scope of the review.

Intensive Care: South East

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many level three intensive care cots were available for neo-natal care in each of the acute hospital trusts in the South Central Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The average daily number of available beds in neonatal intensive care wards (also known as level three wards) for national health service acute providers in the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area can be found in the following table. There have been concerns raised recently about the definitions used for neonatal intensive care cots in the KH03 data return. The concerns have been around the use of the ward type where the cot is located as part of the definition. This has caused confusion amongst some trusts about where to record their neonatal intensive care cots and has caused inconsistency in reporting. These concerns will be investigated with the view of ensuring a robust and clear definition is developed for the 2008-09 collection.
	It is for the neonatal networks, commissioners and SHAs to work together to ensure there is sufficient capacity within the system to meet local demand.
	
		
			  Average daily number of available beds in wards open overnight, ward classification 'Intensive care: Neonates', acute NHS providers in South Central SHA area 
			  Organisation name  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust 0 14 14 14 14 11 14 
			 Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust n/a n/a n/a 3 3 3 3 
			 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 5 5 5 5 5 4 6 
			 Isle of Wight NHS Primary Care Trust 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 
			 Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust 8 8 8 7 6 5 8 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 25 26 25 10 10 10 10 
			 Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 4 4 7 4 3 4 4 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 25 26 26 26 26 28 28 
			 South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust 2 2 2 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Stoke Mandeville Hospital NHS Trust 2 1 1 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 
			 n/a = Not applicable.  Notes: 1. In April 2003 South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust and Stoke Mandeville Hospital NHS Trust merged to form Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust. 2. North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust became a Foundation Trust on 1 December 2006 and changed its name to Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust.  Source: Department of Health form KH03

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: Hospital Beds

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed days have been lost due to delayed discharges in the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust since the year to 14 October 2007.

Ivan Lewis: The number of bed days lost at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust due to delayed discharge from 15 October 2007 to 6 July 2008 is 6,467. These are the latest figures available. All delayed transfers of care for this trust for this period are for acute patients.
	 Source
	Department of Health, Weekly Situation Reports

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: Hospital Beds

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has received from the West Kent Primary Care Trust on the financial support it provided to the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in 2007-08 to assist that trust reduce the number of bed days lost due to delayed discharges.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has not received any information on financial support West Kent primary care trust (PCT) has provided to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in 2007-08 to reduce the number of bed days lost due to delayed discharges. The right hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this with the chief executive of the PCT.

NHS: Finance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were allocated an individual budget in the pilot sites during the Individual Budget Pilot Programme; and how many were eligible for a budget, broken down by location.

Ivan Lewis: A report of the evaluation of the individual budget pilot programme will be published later in the year.

NHS: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require NHS organisations to follow the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's technology appraisals, ethical guidelines and other guidance.

Dawn Primarolo: The Healthcare Commission's annual health check requires national health service organisations to declare the extent of their compliance with a range of core standards. These include a requirement that primary care trusts are complying with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal and interventional procedures guidance. Clinical guidelines and public health guidance are developmental standards in the annual health checks in recognition of the more complex nature of the guidance. However, NHS organisations are expected to demonstrate that they are, working towards full implementation of NICE's guidance.
	In addition, there is a statutory funding direction which applies to NICE technology appraisal guidance. This requires NHS organisations to fund health care interventions recommended by NICE within three months of NICE issuing final guidance.

Nicotine

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals for the establishment of a body with responsibility for the regulation of all nicotine products; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Although the establishment of a body to regulate nicotine products has not been proposed in the Department's current Consultation on the future of tobacco control, stakeholders are invited to respond to the consultation with suggestions on any aspect of tobacco control. This consultation document was published on 31 May 2008 and copies of this document have already been placed in the Library. The consultation will close on 8 September 2008.
	The Government welcome responses from all interested stakeholders and will make decisions on future action on tobacco control with reference to the consultation responses. Consideration of whether to establish a regulatory body for nicotine products will not take place before the Consultation on the future of tobacco control has ended.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 568, on the review of prescription charges, on what date he plans to publish the outcome of the review of prescription charges.

Dawn Primarolo: We will publish our planned consultation on cost neutral changes to the system of prescription charges and exemptions in England in due course.

Smoking: Young People

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has conducted or evaluated on the influence of tobacco packaging on smoking rates in young people.

Dawn Primarolo: Packaging of tobacco products, and its influence on young people in particular, is a topic of consideration within the Department's current Consultation on the future of tobacco control. This consultation document was published on 31 May 2008 and copies have already been placed in the Library. The consultation will close on 8 September 2008.
	The Government welcome responses from all interested stakeholders and will make decisions on future action on tobacco packaging with reference to consultation responses.

Social Services

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on options for care and funding in respect of the (i) consultation and (ii) forthcoming Green Paper on the future of social care and support services.

Ivan Lewis: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 12 June 2008,  Official Report, column 527W, to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney).

Tobacco: Sales

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account he has taken of research on the effects in other countries of  (a) prohibiting and  (b) restricting the sale of tobacco from vending machines in formulating policy; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The sale of tobacco from vending machines is a topic of consideration within the Department's current Consultation on the future of tobacco control, copies of this publication have already been placed in the Library. An overview of the evidence from other jurisdictions on restricting or prohibiting sale of tobacco from vending machines is set out in this consultation. This consultation document was published on 31 May 2008 and is in the Library and the consultation will close on 8 September 2008.
	The Government welcome responses from all interested stakeholders and will make decisions on further controls on tobacco vending machines with reference to the consultation responses.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Translation Services

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on translation and interpretation services in Afghanistan in 2007-08.

David Miliband: In financial year 2007-08 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent a total of 93,033.56 on interpretation. This includes the salaries of five locally-engaged interpreters employed by our embassy in Kabul, four employed by our provincial reconstruction team in Lashkar Gah and a further five interpreters employed on behalf of HM Revenue and Customs.

Africa: Conflict Prevention

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding his Department plans to provide to the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool in 2008-09.

David Miliband: In April 2008 the Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pools were merged to form a single combined Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP). The CPP has a self-standing budget, provided by HM Treasury, which is managed jointly by the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence. The Africa Programme, one of six-regional and two thematic programmes within the CPP, has been set an initial allocation of 62.5 million for financial year 2008-09 from the total CPP budget of 112 million.

Armenia: Turkey

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to Turkey on the issue of the Armenian massacres.

Jim Murphy: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made recent representations to the Turkish Government on the issue of the Armenian massacres.
	However, as part of our ongoing bilateral dialogue and in line with our longstanding policy on the massacres, we continue to encourage Turkey to work directly with Armenia to normalise their relations and to work together to build a better relationship for the future.

British Nationality: Torture

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how many British nationals have asked the Government to espouse their claims for damages following allegations of torture by officials or agents of foreign governments, or have requested the Government to intervene on their behalf in these matters, since 8 December 1988;
	(2)  how many claims by British citizens of torture abroad have been espoused by the Government since December 1988; and what the criteria are for determining whether to espouse such a claim.

Meg Munn: The UK is opposed to torture and is one of the most active countries in the world in the fight to eradicate it. We provide consular assistance to British nationals detained abroad, which includes taking an interest in their welfare. We take allegations of mistreatmentincluding torturevery seriously and, with the permission of the individual concerned, can take up such allegations with the relevant authorities in the host state.
	From 1 April 2005 we have collated statistics on the number of cases where we have, with the permission of the British national concerned, raised concerns with the detaining authorities over allegations of mistreatment, ranging from a lack of water to physical abuse. Records were not collated prior to April 2005.
	Cases have been raised as follows:
	April to December 2005: 39 allegations raised;
	January to December 2006: 69 allegations raised; and
	January to December 2007: 75 allegations raised.
	Collated data are not broken down into specific details of the alleged mistreatment.
	We do not centrally collate data on how many British nationals have asked the Government to formally espouse their legal claims for damages following allegations of torture by officials or agents of foreign governments.
	We do not centrally collate data on legal claims by British nationals of torture abroad which have been formally espoused by the Government. We have formally espoused no such legal claims in recent years. Any request to formally espouse a legal claim of torture would be considered on a case by case basis.
	To collate this information would therefore incur a disproportionate cost.

China: Population

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of China about trends in China's population since 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We have discussed China's population mainly in terms of problems arising from the implementation of the One Child policy. We did this during the 16th Round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing in January. We do not dispute China's right or need to implement family planning policies but we do believe they should be based on the principles of consent and not coercion. We will continue to encourage the Chinese to meet international human rights standards at every appropriate opportunity, both bilaterally and through the EU.
	A more detailed survey of all the exchanges between UK and Chinese authorities from 2006 would require a search of files held centrally and at all posts in China, which could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

Civil Disorder: Food

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in respect of which countries he has received reports of riots because of the price of food in 2008.

Meg Munn: In 2008, Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff have reported on a number of countries where food price inflation or insecurity of food supply have been central to concerns about social or political stability. These include Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal and Yemen. In some other cases we believe that high food prices have been part of the cause of social unrest but it is often difficult to separate the impact of food prices from other factors, including rising fuel costs and existing social or political tensions. We also examine information from a variety of sources, including the Department for International Development's country offices and international organisations.

Departmental Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's  (a) chart of accounts and  (b) resource account codes and usage descriptions for the current financial year.

Meg Munn: An electronic copy of the chart will be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Inquiries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what independent inquiries have been commissioned by his Department in the last five years; what the  (a) purpose and  (b) cost was of each; and what steps were taken following each.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has, in the last five years, commissioned one independent inquiry.
	In May 2007 UKvisas, a joint Directorate of the Home Office and the FCO, was made aware of security vulnerabilities in on-line visa application websites operated on their behalf by a commercial partner, VFS Global, in India, Nigeria and Russia. This meant that other internet users could potentially see applicants' personal data, in breach of the Data Protection Act.
	On 17 May 2007 my noble Friend Lord Triesman appointed Linda Costelloe Baker, the Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance Refusals, to carry out an independent investigation of this breach. She was not paid an additional fee on top of her remuneration as independent monitor for entry clearance refusals. Expenses, and the provision of legal and consultancy services to support the inquiry, are determined to have totalled 15,213.90.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary laid this report, and UKvisas' responses to the independent investigator's recommendations, before Parliament on 26 July 2007. I refer the right hon. Member to my hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's written ministerial statement of 26 July 2007,  Official Report, column 101WS.

Departmental Wastes

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years.

Meg Munn: In the last Sustainable Development in Government report (2007), the Sustainable Development Commission recognised the significant progress the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had made towards reducing its waste. The FCO reduced its waste by 3.2 per cent. in 2006-07 and recycled 41.2 per cent. of waste, exceeding the Government target on recycling.
	The FCO has taken several measures to reduce its waste and increase the amount which is recycled and re-used. Since 2005 these include:
	purchasing and installing cardboard bailing machines and waste compactors at our offices in London and Buckinghamshire;
	introducing an incentive scheme to encourage re-use of cardboard and plastic items at office catering outlets;
	introducing recycling bins in key locations to encourage recycling of plastic, glass and cans throughout our offices; and
	in 2008 the FCO replaced bottled still water at meetings with jugs of chilled tap water.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the euro changeover plan of  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies was last updated; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of each.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) euro conversion plan is dated November 2004. The most recent review was in April 2007.
	UK Trade and Investment, BBC World Service, BBC Monitoring and the British Council plans are summarised in the FCO Plan.
	The Plan is an internal planning document, however it has been made available to members of the public in response to specific requests. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

Horn of Africa: Arms Trade

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent of illicit trafficking of small arms and weapons from Somalia into neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa; and what proposals the Government has put forward to reduce the trade.

Meg Munn: The availability of small arms and light weapons in the Horn of Africa region remains a serious problem. To help address this, the Government have committed 800,000 over a three year period (2007-10) to the Regional Centre on small arms and light weapons through the UK Conflict Prevention Pool's security and small arms control strategy. The aim is to combat the illicit proliferation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes region and Horn of Africa by assisting states, including Somalia, to implement the Nairobi Protocol. The Government are also currently considering a project proposal submitted by the Mines Advisory Group which would provide training to Somali troops and provide technical oversight to the ongoing destruction of stockpiled weapons and munitions.

Iran: Inspections

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2008,  Official Report, column 1032W, on Iran: inspections, whether it is Government policy to seek the adoption of agreed criteria to trigger the inspection of cargoes to and from Iran as stipulated in UN Security Council Resolution 1803 (2008) at  (a) the EU and  (b) the UN Security Council; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UK is robustly implementing the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1803. The Resolution already contains criteria for making inspections on the basis of having reasonable grounds to believe the aircraft or vessel is transporting prohibited goods. UK authorities routinely inspect cargoes from Iran. The EU is currently negotiating a new Common Position which the Government hope will build on the measures in UNSCR 1803.

Japan: Whales

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the government of Japan on the illicit trade in whale meat from Japan's scientific whaling programme.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not discussed the specific issue of an illicit trade in whale meat from Japan's scientific whaling programme with the Japanese Government but has taken note of the allegations made by Greenpeace. The Government continue to oppose all forms of whaling apart from some limited subsistence whaling when there is a substantiated need. The UK has also protested against Japan's whaling operations, which we argue are unjustified, cruel and unnecessary, at every appropriate opportunity. Most recently the UK maintained its strong anti-whaling position at the annual International Whaling Commission meeting which was held in Santiago, Chile, in June 2008.

Japan: Whales

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the government of Japan pressing for the immediate release of the two Greenpeace activists who have been held without charge since 20 June 2008.

Meg Munn: The court procedures being applied in the case of the two Greenpeace activists are standard in Japan, where those suspected of committing a crime can be held for up to 23 days without charge. The Government are unable to get involved in the criminal investigations of another country, but are following the issue closely. We remain of the view that the large-scale killing of whalesunder the guise of 'scientific' researchis both unnecessary and deeply flawed, from a scientific point of view, and we will continue to make representations to the Japanese authorities on this.

Moldova: BBC External Services

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the BBC World Service's cessation of broadcasting to Moldova and Romania from 1 August 2008.

Jim Murphy: Since Romania acceded to the EU in 2007 the scale of the competition in radio and all media has intensified. Additionally, mergers have meant that several major FM network partner stations which previously carried BBC Romanian output no longer do so. These FM partnerships are critical in a country where direct listening to the BBC via short wave is neither popular nor cost effective. Since 2007 there has been a significant drop in the audiencecurrently it is under 3 per cent. of the local radio market in Romania.
	Romania will continue to be served by other BBC global news services in English including BBC World Service radio, BBC World News television and online (via bbc.com/news). The BBC's local FM relays (four in Romania and one in the Republic of Moldova), which currently broadcast a mixture of Romanian and English programmes, will broadcast English programmes exclusively (plus Russian and Ukrainian in Moldova), subject to agreement with local regulators.

Moldova: BBC External Services

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the BBC World Service's policy on broadcasting to Eastern European countries is, with specific reference to Moldova and Romania; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The BBC has announced that it will close its Romanian Service from August 2008. This change follows a review of the BBC World Service's language service portfolio after its overall funding levels, for the three year funding period between 2008-2009 and 2010-2011, were agreed with the Government in October 2007.
	This decision, which has been endorsed by the BBC Trust and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, follows consideration of audience desire to continue broadcasts, the changing media landscape in Romania and the declining impact of the service.
	Broadcasts in Romanian for the Republic of Moldova will also cease, as the Moldovan side of the operation cannot be sustained without the infrastructure of BBC Romanian.

Moldova: British Council

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to improve access to the services of the British Council for the people of Moldova.

Jim Murphy: While the British Council currently has no plans to open independent premises in Moldova, it already employs a member of staff who works out of our embassy in Chisinau to co-ordinate the delivery of British Council resources, programmes and services to the people of Moldova. This post, and the British Council activity in Moldova, is managed through the British Council operations in Romania and in Ukraine. The British Council currently provides the following programmes and services to the people of Moldova:
	peacekeeping English Project;
	John Smith Fellowship Programme;
	Chevening scholarships (currently two scholarships per year);
	the Moldova-UK alumni association, now established as a legal entity and receiving guidance from the British Council's Ukraine-UK Professional Network;
	guidance in the establishment of an EU information centre and related activity in the break-away enclave of Transnistria;
	information services for Moldovan students studying in Romania;
	access to British Council electronic resources for people in Moldova;
	Cambridge seminars for Moldovan teachers of English; and
	English Language exams in Chisinau, and plans to provide a further exams service in Odessa.

Nigeria: Oil

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has held with Nigerian officials regarding military attacks on Shell Oil facilities recently; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Officials from our high commission in Abuja maintain good contacts with the Nigerian Government across a wide range of policy areas including the Niger Delta. Following the two most recent militant attacks (one against the Shell offshore Bonga platform on 19 June and another against a Chevron pipeline in Delta State on 21 June) staff from our high commission in Abuja discussed the incidents with senior advisers in the Presidency and also with senior military officials. During these meetings, our high commission officials stressed the negative impact of continuing insecurity in the Delta region. The Group of Eight leading industrialised nations (G8) stated earlier this month that it shared the concern of the Nigerian Government about the violence in the Delta region and supported the Nigerian Government's efforts to improve the security situation and prospects for development.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Yar'Adua of Nigeria in London on 16 July and discussed how the UK might help in Nigerian-led approaches to solving the underlying causes of instability in the Niger Delta.

Raoul Wallenberg

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent reports he has received on the case of Raoul Wallenberg; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take at the United Nations on the case of Raoul Wallenberg; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assistance his Department has  (a) offered and  (b) plans to offer to the Swedish Bilateral Commission on the disappearance of Raoul Wallenberg; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not received any recent reports on the case of the Swedish citizen Mr. Raoul Wallenberg.
	The Government have no plans to raise the case of Mr. Raoul Wallenberg at the UN.
	Records that might show whether the Swedish Bilateral Commission sought any assistance from the UK, or whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office might have information of use to the Commission, are not held centrally. To provide this information would incur a disproportionate cost.

Somalia: Al-Qaeda

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment has been made of the operations of al-Qaeda in Somalia and the influence of Abu al-Libi.

Meg Munn: Al-Qaeda has a long history of terrorist activity in east Africa, from the Nairobi and Dar es Salaam bombings in 1998 to more recent activity in Somalia.
	We believe that while al-Qaeda has exploited the absence of effective governance in Somalia to use the country as a base for both terrorist training and planning, the organisation has never established a formal franchise in Somalia.
	Abu-Yahya al-Libi is a propagandist for al-Qaeda. He has released statements indicating al-Qaeda's continued support for the Islamic insurgency in Somalia, recognising the conflict as part of the global jihad.

Somalia: Human Rights

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Richmond Yorks, (Mr. Hayne) of 30 June 2008,  Official Report, column 675W, what proposals the UK has put forward to strengthen the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Somalia.

Meg Munn: The UK provides significant financial (fifth largest donor) and political support to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The UK Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva is in regular contact with the OHCHR about its field activities.
	The OHCHR has seconded a human rights adviser to the UN country team covering Somalia. This has resulted in a human rights based approach being reflected in policy and operational planning undertaken by the UN country team. The UK welcomes the OHCHR's intention to conduct an assessment mission to Somalia, as soon as the security situation will allow, in order to assess how it can most effectively improve the human rights situation.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of  (a) allegations of the International Criminal Court's prosecutors against the President of Sudan regarding responsibility for the situation in Darfur and  (b) the effect of such allegations on the prospects for peace in the region.

Meg Munn: On 14 July the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor announced his application to the ICC judges for an arrest warrant against President Bashir of Sudan for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Prosecutor is completely independent and the court has its own procedures. It would therefore be inappropriate and premature to comment or speculate on the outcome of the ICC deliberations.
	The UK has a long standing position of support for the work and purposes of the ICC. We also have a long standing position of calling on the Government of Sudan to co-operate with the ICC over the two existing indictments. My right. hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this to the Sudanese President during his visit to Khartoum on 9 July.
	We continue to urge all sides to show restraint, continue to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and engage in the African Union-UN led political process for Darfur.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further measures the EU plans to take against any party  (a) impeding the joint UN-AU hybrid force for Darfur,  (b) obstructing humanitarian access and (c) failing constructively to engage in the Darfur political process, as discussed at the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting in Luxembourg in June.

Meg Munn: The UK is ready to consider all available options to secure the effective deployment of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur and full humanitarian access to promote a peaceful resolution to the situation in Darfur. Possible steps could include an assets freeze or travel ban against individuals engaged in violence, authorising it or impeding progress. Our preference for further measures, in common with many of our EU partners, would be for UN sanctions because of their universal coverage and because they could include, for example, extension of the existing UN arms embargo to cover the whole of Sudan. The EU already has an arms embargo on the whole of Sudan.

Tibet: Human Rights

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Tibetan monks held in prisons and detention centres by the Chinese authorities following the protests in March 2008.

Meg Munn: There has been no official confirmation of the number of Tibetans held in detention, following the protests in March and April 2008, and unofficial estimates vary considerably. We continue to urge the Chinese authorities to ensure due process for all Tibetan detainees, including that they be allowed access to lawyers of their choice. We have also stressed the need to differentiate between those who peacefully express their views and those who commit violent crimes. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang on several occasions since the protests emphasising the need to respect human rights. Our officials have raised the detentions directly with the Chinese authorities both in Beijing and London.
	At the end of March, EU Foreign Ministers called for all Tibetan detainees to be treated in conformity with international standards. The rights of the Tibetan detainees were also raised at the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue which took place in Slovenia on 15 May 2008.

Travel Restrictions

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 770-71W, on UN resolutions: frontiers, how many further notifications have been received by the UN Security Council Committee established pursuant to UN Resolution 1737 (2006) from states reporting the entry into or transit through their territories of designated persons.

David Miliband: No further notifications have been received by the UN Security Council Committee from states reporting the entry into or transit through their territories of designated persons.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Human Rights

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will investigate allegations of corruption and intimidation of citizens in the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 15 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 13-14WS.

Uganda: Armed Conflict

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking against sources of funding for the Lord's Resistance Army, including from the Ugandan diaspora in the UK.

Meg Munn: The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is not a proscribed organisation in the UK or internationally and as such the Government are limited in what action they can take against those in the UK who support or profess membership of the LRA, if they have not broken British law.

Uganda: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the strengthening of the UN Mission in the Congo to act against the Lord's Resistance Army and its leader Joseph Kony.

Meg Munn: We support a political solution to end the conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda. International backing for a peaceful solution will be vital.
	UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1794 in December 2007 renewed the mandate for the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (MONUC). It included a call for militia groups present in eastern DRC, including the LRA, to lay down their arms. MONUC works alongside the Congolese armed forces to contain the threat of the LRA and ensure the protection of civilians.
	We note the UN Secretary-General's analysis in his report of 3 July to the UNSC that a strengthening of MONUC's capacity would be required, should the mission be tasked beyond its current activities against the LRA. In its discussions with UNSC partners and the UN on the mandating of peacekeeping missions, the Government carefully weighs political needs and capacity and budgetary implications. We believe that MONUC has the necessary resources to fulfil its current mandated tasks.

Written Questions: Government Responses

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer Question 201936 on China, tabled by the hon. Member for Southend, West on 22 April; what the reason for the time taken to respond is; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: A reply was prepared but owing to an administrative error it was not transmitted to Parliament. A response to parliamentary written question 201936 has been sent today.

Written Questions: Government Responses

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer Question 199081, on Iran sanctions, tabled on 1 April 2008.

David Miliband: A reply was prepared but owing to an administrative error it was not transmitted to Parliament. A response to parliamentary written question 199081 has been sent today.

Zimbabwe: British Nationality

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of British nationals who have left Zimbabwe since the March 2008 elections.

Meg Munn: We estimate the number of British nationals currently resident in Zimbabwe to be approximately 14,000. We know from our network of consular correspondents in Zimbabwe that there has been a steady trickle of British nationals leaving the country since the March elections. During this period 70 British nationals have informed our embassy in Harare that they have left Zimbabwe, but many others could have left without informing either our embassy or their consular correspondent.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Broadband: Elderly

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will hold discussions with industry representatives on measures to increase the affordability of access to broadband for  (a) people with a disability and  (b) older people.

Malcolm Wicks: Ofcom's report The UK Communications Market 2007 shows that developments in technology have seen broadband reaching the majority of households and businesses in the UK and this has been reflected in widespread take-up (there are now over 16 million broadband connections in the UK). The UK has one of the fastest growing broadband markets in Europe and continues to have the most extensive availability, with 99.8 per cent. of households able to access broadband.
	Statistics show that 53 per cent. of all UK adults lived in households with a broadband internet connection in Q4 2006up from 39 per cent. in 2005 and seven times the 2002 penetration level.
	The rising take-up of bundled services has contributed to the falling costs of all telecommunication services. The UK's 16 million broadband households are paying 36 per cent. less than they were four years ago, while headline connection speeds are up to 16 times fasteralthough actual speeds are often far slower than advertised. Competition has seen service providers differentiating in terms of price, speed, quality and in terms of product bundles.
	52 per cent. of people in the UK with broadband purchased it in conjunction with another communications service, often receiving heavy discounts on the price of stand alone broadband. Some suppliers now offer standalone broadband for under 10 per month, while others provide free broadband when customers buy additional communication service, the cost of the broadband being subsidised by other services in the bundle. Prices for broadband will continue to fall as competition for subscribers intensifies.
	I would be delighted to hear from industry about any plans they have to make broadband more affordable, including for the elderly or disabled.

Cambridge Online Learning Ltd

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  if he will investigate the circumstances surrounding the transfer of funds related to EU Objective 1 from KMI Offshore Trust to Cambridge Online Learning Ltd;
	(2)  if he will investigate the role of the Federal Trust Bank, Guernsey in the transfer of EU Objective 1 funding from Cambridge Online Learning Ltd to KMI Offshore Trust;
	(3)  if he will investigate the loss of EU Objective 1 funding following the entering into administration in February 2006 of Cambridge Online Learning Ltd;
	(4)  if he will direct Yorkshire Forward to investigate the sale of assets of Cambridge Online Learning Ltd funded from EU Objective 1 funding;
	(5)  if he will investigate the circumstances surrounding the payment of EU Objective 1 funding to Cambridge Online Learning Ltd.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Implementation of the South Yorkshire Objective 1 programme for 2000-06 is the responsibility of Communities and Local Government as the managing authority for the European regional development fund in England. The Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber will investigate the circumstances leading to the award and potential loss of EU objective 1 funds in this case.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1274W, on economic and monetary union, for what reasons he is not willing to place a copy of his Department's euro transition plan in the Library.

Gareth Thomas: The BERR Euro Transition Plan is to be updated. A copy of the updated plan will be placed in the Libraries of the House when this work is completed.

Internet: Privacy

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the implications for the privacy of British internet users of the requirement for Google to disclose to a third party the viewing log of people who have its YouTube service.

Malcolm Wicks: BERR officials made contact with the company on this issue and this is an unfolding situation which we are regularly monitoring. Although the US federal court granted Viacom's petition for disclosure of traffic log data including computer IP addresses, against Google, who own YouTube, the court has specified that Viacom cannot use the disclosed data for any commercial purposes, or to pursue individual users for copyright infringement whose computers might be identifiable from the log data. There is a protective order in the case that prevents information designated as highly confidential from disclosure to anyone but Viacom's lawyers and experts.

Manufacturing Industries: Shoes

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of shoes purchased in the UK had been manufactured in the UK in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: It is not possible to determine precisely from official statistics how many shoes produced in the UK are sold in the UK market as footwear exports exceed UK production. The following table shows an implied figure if all UK produced footwear were sold in the UK market. However the British Footwear Association estimates that UK companies export up to 90 per cent. of production.
	
		
			   Sale of goods ( million)( 1)  Imports ( million)( 2)  Exports ( million)( 2)  Implied UK consumption of UK production (percentage) 
			 1997 970 1,909 603 43 
			 1998 862 1,853 538 40 
			 1999 805 2,020 531 35 
			 2000 699 1,979 512 31 
			 2001 692 2,217 481 29 
			 2002 540 2,342 448 22 
			 2003 369 2,354 426 16 
			 2004 335 2,430 419 14 
			 2005 260 2,537 468 11 
			 2006 258 2,673 525 11 
			 (1) ONS-ABI (2) BOP basis ONS-MQ10

Members: Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to reply to the letters of 4 March and 15 May from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean, on BT payment charges.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 7 July 2008
	I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member. My noble Friend the Minister for Business and Competitiveness is currently reviewing Government policy on this issue, a response will be sent shortly.

Public Telephones

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has made to BT on its observance of its universal service obligation in its proposed payphone removal programme.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 14 July 2008
	 No such representation has been made to BT. The Universal Service Obligation is administered by Ofcom (the independent regulator). Ofcom requires BT to ensure that there is adequate provision of public call boxes (PCBs) to meet the reasonable needs of end-users in terms of numbers, geographical coverage and quality of service.
	Ofcom has set rules which ensure that BT cannot remove the last PCB from an area if the local authority objects. In its guidelines Ofcom has identified lack of mobile coverage as one of the reasons why the local authority might wish to consider objecting.

Radio Waves: EC Action

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what EU legislation on the regulation of radio band waves has been agreed since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the following list that summarises the legislation affecting the use of radio spectrum. Further details can be found at the following websites:
	http://rspg.groups.eu.int/ref_doc/index_en.htm
	http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/radio_ spectrum/ref_documents/index_en.htm
	http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/RECH_celex.do
	 EU legislation decisions and directives on the regulation of radio spectrum (band waves) since 1997
	30 June 2008: Decision 626/2008/EC on the selection and authorisation of systems providing mobile satellite services.
	13 June 2008: Decision 2008/477/EC on the harmonisation of the 2500-2690 MHz frequency band for terrestrial systems providing electronic communications services in the Community.
	23 May 2008: Decision 2008/432/EC on harmonisation of the radio spectrum for use by short-range devices 'SRD'. 'Amending Commission Decision 2006/771/EC as below'.
	21 May 2008: Decision 2008/411/EC on the harmonisation of the 3400 -3800 MHz frequency band for terrestrial systems capable of providing electronic communications services in the Community.
	23 April 2008: modifying Annex A to Decision 2006/679//EC concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European conventional rail system and Annex A to Decision 2006/860/EC concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European high-speed rail system 'GSM-R spectrum'.
	7 April 2008: Decision 2008/294/EC on harmonised conditions of spectrum use for the operation of mobile communication services on aircraft (MCA services) in the Community.
	16 May 2007: Decision 2007/344/EC on harmonised availability of information regarding spectrum use within the Community.
	16 May 2007: Decision 2007/346/EC granting a derogation requested by France pursuant to Commission Decision 2006/804/EC on harmonisation of the radio spectrum for radio frequency identification (RFID) devices operating in the ultra high frequency 'UHF' band.
	12 February 2007: Decision 2007/90/EC on the harmonised use of radio spectrum in the 5 GHz frequency band for the implementation of Wireless Access Systems including Radio Local Area Networks (WAS/RLANs). 'Amending Decision 2005/513/EC as below'.
	14 February 2007: Decision 2007/98/EC on the harmonised use of radio spectrum in the 2 GHz frequency bands for the implementation of systems providing mobile satellite services.
	21 February 2007: Decision 2007/131/EC on allowing the use of the radio spectrum for equipment using ultra-wideband technology in a harmonised manner in the Community.
	23 November 2006: Decision 2006/804/EC on harmonisation of the radio spectrum for radio frequency identification RFID devices operating in the 'UHF' band.
	9 November 2006: Decision 2006/771/EC on harmonisation of the radio spectrum for use by short-range devices. 'Amended by Decision 2008/432/EC as above'.
	20 December 2005: Decision 2005/928/EC on the harmonisation of the 169.4 MHz to 169.8125 MHz frequency band in the Community (frequency band originally designated for the ERMES paging system).
	14 December 2005: Directive 2005/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council Repealing Council Directive 90/544/EEC on the frequency bands designated for the co-ordinated introduction of pan-European land-based public radio paging in the Community.
	25 July 2005: Directive 2005/49/EC amending, for the purposes of their adaptation to technical progress, Council Directive 72/245/EEC relating to the radio interference (electromagnetic compatibility) of vehicles and Directive 70/156/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers.
	11 July 2005: Decision 2005/513/EC on the harmonised use of radio spectrum in the 5 GHz frequency band for implementation of Wireless Access Systems 'WAS' including Radio Local Area Networks (WAS/RLANs) 'Amended by Decision 2007/90/EC as above'.
	18 March 2005: Decision ECC/DEC/(05)05 on harmonised utilisation of spectrum for systems (IMT-2000/UMTS) operating within the band 2500 to 2690 MHz.
	17 January 2005: Decision 2005/50/EC on the harmonisation of the 24 GHz range radio spectrum band for the time-limited use by automotive short-range radar equipment in the Community.
	8 July 2004: Decision 2004/545/EC on the harmonisation of radio spectrum in the 79 GHz range for the use of automotive short-range radar equipment in the Community.
	26 July 2002: Decision 2002/622/EC establishing a Radio Spectrum Policy Group. L198/49 Official Journal of the European Union 'OJEU' published on 27 July 2002.
	7 March 2002: Decision 676/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on a regulatory framework for radio spectrum policy in the European Community (Radio Spectrum Decision).
	7 March 2002: Directive 2002/21/EC on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (framework directive), 'OJEU' L108; relating on the same date to the authorisation Directive 2002/20/EC and universal service Directive 2002/22/EC. 'Noted that the Electronic Communication Framework (which Addresses spectrum issues) is currently under review in the Council and the European Parliament'.
	14 December 1998: Decision 128/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of on the coordinated introduction of a third-generation mobile and wireless communications system (UMTS) in the Community. 'Noted that this Decision (128/1999/EC) is no longer in force'.
	28 November 1997: Decision 97/838/EC concerning the conclusion on behalf of the European Community, as regards matters within its competence, of the results of the WTO negotiations on basic telecommunications services (OJEU L 347,18.12.1997).
	24 March 1997: Decision 710/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on a co-ordinated authorisation approach in the field of satellite personal-communication services in the Community.

Regional Planning and Development: Coastal Areas

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the surplus remaining unspent in the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund has been in each year since its inception.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 July 2008
	The Marine Renewables Deployment Fund has several budget categories. These are:
	 Wave and Tidal-stream Energy Demonstration Scheme.
	Budget: 42 million. Because no wave or tidal-stream energy technology has yet accumulated three months of continuous operation, which is a key eligibility criterion of the scheme, all of this budget remains unspent. However, one or possibly two technologies are expected to achieve eligibility in late 2008 or early 2009, with at least one other later in 2009.
	 Related research
	Budget: Up to 360,000 depending on research needs identified. The total contractual commitment is 233,000 of which 209,000 has been spent to date. This is broken down by financial year as follows:
	
		
			  000 
			  Financial year  Spent  Available for commitment  Committed but not yet spent 
			 2006-07 47 313  
			 2007-08 156 157  
			 2008-09 6 151  
			 2008-09  127 24 
		
	
	 Environmental research
	Budget: 2 million. This research is planned for monitoring the environmental impacts of projects installed under the wave and tidal-stream energy demonstration scheme. The technologies' failure so far to qualify for this scheme has meant that all of this budget remains unspent, although work is expected to be able to commence this year.
	 Infrastructure support
	Budget: Up to 5.64 million. To date, l,131,000 of this budget has been spent, broken down by financial year as follows:
	
		
			  000 
			  Financial year  Spent  Available for commitment 
			 2005-06 831 4,809 
			 2006-07 300 4,509 
			 2007-08 0 4,509 
			 2008-09 0 4,509 
		
	
	All of this money has been spent at EMEC in Orkney, Scotland, and represents a contribution towards the cost the construction of its tidal test site and improvements to its wave test site.
	In addition to this, 4.5 million from this budget has been promised to the south west regional development agency as a contribution to its planned wave hub project. This was expected to have been spent by now but the start of wave hub has been delayed.

Regional Planning and Development: Coastal Areas

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what spending from the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund has been in each year since its inception on  (a) wave and tidal stream energy,  (b) environmental research,  (c) related research and  (d) infrastructure support, broken down by region.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 July 2008
	 The information is as follows:
	 Wave and  t idal-stream  e nergy  d emonstration  s cheme.
	Because no wave or tidal-stream energy technology has yet accumulated three months of continuous operation, which is a key eligibility criterion of the scheme, none of this budget has been spent to date. However, one or possibly two technologies are expected to achieve eligibility in late 2008 or early 2009, and at least one other later in 2009. The location of these projects will depend on the applications received and approved.
	 Related research
	The total contractual commitment is 233,000 of which 209,000 has been spent to date. This is broken down by financial year and region as follows:
	
		
			  000 
			  Financial year  Spent  Committed but not yet spent 
			  Scotland   
			 2006-07 47  
			 2007-08 24  
			 2008-09 6 24 
			
			  South East England   
			 2006-07   
			 2007-08 132  
			 2008-09   
		
	
	 Environmental research
	This research is planned for monitoring the environmental impacts of projects installed under the wave and tidal-stream energy demonstration scheme. The technologies' failure so far to qualify for this scheme has meant that all of this budget remains unspent, although work is expected to be able to commence this year. The monitoring work will happen at the deployment sites of the projects deployed under the wave and tidal-stream energy demonstration scheme.
	 Infrastructure support
	To date, 1,131,000 of this budget has been spent, broken down by financial year as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Spent (000) 
			 2005-06 831 
			 2006-07 300 
		
	
	All of this money has been spent at EMEC in Orkney, Scotland, and represents a contribution towards the cost of construction of its tidal test site and improvements to its wave test site.

Regional Planning and Development: Coastal Areas

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many projects the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund has funded in each year since its inception, broken down by region; and how much funding was given in each case.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 July 2008
	 The number of projects supported by the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund by region, funding and financial year are listed as follows:
	
		
			  Numbers of projects by financial year and region 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Related research (Scotland)  2 1 1 
			 Related research (SE England)   1  
			 Infrastructure support (Scotland) 2
		
	
	Projects are allocated to the financial year in which they started.
	
		
			  Expenditure by financial year and region 
			  000 
			   2006-07 spent  2007-08 spent  2008-09 spent  2008-09 committed but not yet spent 
			 Related research (Scotland) 47 24 6 24 
			 Related research (SE England)  132   
			 Infrastructure support (Scotland) 831 (1)300   
			 (*) There were two infrastructure projects in Scotland, both at EMEC in Orkney, but BERR expenditure spanned two financial years.

Severn Barrage

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will hold discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government and Ministerial colleagues on the environmental effects of the proposed Severn Barrage.

Malcolm Wicks: Ministerial colleagues and Welsh Assembly Government are involved in the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study and discussions are held through our feasibility study ad-hoc Ministerial Group. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Jane Davidson AM, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, chair the quarterly parliamentary forum for all MPs, Lords and Welsh Assembly Members interested in the study. I chair the quarterly regional forum for the local authorities, local business and environmental organisations. The next meetings of the fora will take place in Cardiff on 24 October.
	DEFRA and Welsh Assembly Government are fully involved with the environmental workstream of the study and together with other Government Departments are members of the feasibility study project board.
	The feasibility study will include a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) to ensure a detailed understanding of the estuary's environmental resource, recognising the nature conservation significance of the estuary.
	The Welsh Assembly Government are involved in the SEA Steering Group which is made up of representatives from a wide group of stakeholders including statutory consultees, business and environmental NGOs.

Telephone Services: Fraud

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what consideration he has given to measures to outlaw unsolicited text messages which encourage people to return calls on premium rate lines;
	(2)  what estimate has been made of how many people have lost money by returning unsolicited text messages.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 February 2008
	Under the provisions of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, text messages should only be sent with the prior consent of the individual subscriber. However, there is an exemption where the subscriber has given his or her mobile telephone number direct to a company in the context of the purchase of a product or service. Enforcement is undertaken by the Information Commissioner.
	Additional safeguards put in place by the regulator, PhonepayPlus and industry require that customers must be clearly informed by text about what they have subscribed to, the cost and how to stop the service. A consumer must be able to switch off the service with the universal 'stop' command. If they have inadvertently signed up to a reverse text service, they can cancel it. A message once a month reminds subscribers about the service and the cost and, for every 20 spent, customers must get a further reminder about how to turn off the service.
	Information is not collected on the cost of returning unsolicited text messages.

Video Games

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of people employed by  (a) games developers,  (b) games publishers,  (c) games distributors,  (d) games retailers and  (e) other industries and services associated with the games industry in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: Accurate data describing the video and computer games sector are not regularly collated or in fact readily available to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, particularly as the sector has not had its own separate Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code.
	However, in 2002 the Department of Trade and Industry published From Exuberant Youth to Sustainable Maturity, a full competitiveness analysis of the computer games sector carried out by independent consultants, Spectrum Strategy. According to this report, in 2000 employment in the computer games sector totalled over 20,000 broken down as follows :
	
		
			   Number 
			 Games developers 6,000 
			 Games publishers 2,350 
			 Games distributors 1,000 
			 Games retailers 8,000 
			 Associated sectors/services 3,000 
		
	
	In October 2007, UKTI published Playing for Keeps, a report commissioned from independent consultants Games Investor which included a range of valuable new data on the competitiveness of the UK games development sector compared to key competitor territories including the US and Canada. This report confirmed that 8,000 people plus 700 freelancers were employed in games development in the UK in 2006.
	New figures for employment in non-development roles were not collected as part of the Playing for Keeps study. However, European Interactive Games - the 2005 State of the Industry Report published by consultants Screen Digest in association with the Entertainment and Leisure Software Association suggested that by 2004 the total employment figure for the UK computer games industry had risen to 22,190, of which, 16,190 were in publishing, distribution, retail and associated services.